Cooking

The most valuable and versatile sous vide technique is, of course, cooking. The three main types of sous vide cooking are short-time cooking (à la minute), long-time cooking (up to several days), and fruit and vegetable cooking.

Food that’s naturally tender—most fish, for example—requires a relatively short time in the water bath, as little as 10 minutes or so, and is typically served immediately. Meats that are tough require a long time to break down the connective tissues and become tender. Some meats that are braised may fall between short- and long-time cooking, in that they are cooked through but do not become meltingly tender (the chicken thighs in Chestnut-Stuffed Four Story Hills Farm Chicken with Celery and Honey-Poached Cranberries, for example). Vegetables generally require between 30 and 90 minutes. They are almost always cooked at 85°C (185°F).