Sous Vide Essentials Lemon Chicken Recipes

SOUS VIDE CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Set sous vide machine to 60C/140F.
• Season chicken breasts lightly with salt or a seasoning of your choice. Place chicken in sous vide bag with thyme, and remove the air through a vacuum sealer or the displacement method. Drop the bag in the bath for an hour and a half.
• Remove bag from bath. Take chicken out of the bag, pat dry and season with salt and pepper (or seasoning) to taste.
• Heat up large skillet on high and add oil. Sear chicken breasts for 60 seconds on each side, or until browned. Remove from pan, and place on a plate to rest for 5 minutes. Once rested, serve and enjoy!

SOUS VIDE CHICKEN BREAST WITH LEMON AND HERBS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot with water and place a sous vide cooker into the water. Set temperature to 148 degrees F according to manufacturer's directions.
• Season chicken breast liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Set garlic slices, thyme, and lemon on top of chicken skin. Place chicken into 1 large or 2 small vacuum bags. Seal using a vacuum sealer.
• Place bags into the water and set timer for 2 hours. When timer is up, remove chicken from bag. Remove garlic, thyme, and lemon slices and pat chicken dry with paper towels.
• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken, skin-side down until nicely browned, about 1 minute. Move chicken around the skillet using tongs, holding the chicken up against the side of the skillet to get an even brown color on all edges. Remove from heat and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip chicken over and remove the bones. Slice chicken and serve immediately.

SOUS VIDE LEMON-BUTTER SHRIMP

Steps:

• Set up a large pot or water bath and place your sous vide cooker into the water. Set temperature to 135 degrees F (57 degrees C) according to manufacturer's directions.
• Combine shrimp and Creole seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat. Place shrimp in a single layer inside a large vacuum bag. Place lemon peel, thyme, and butter evenly on top. Seal the bag using a vacuum sealer.
• Place bag into the water and set timer for 30 minutes.
• Remove cooked shrimp from bag and serve. Sprinkle additional Creole seasoning on top, if desired.

SOUS VIDE ESSENTIALS: LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. To pull this recipe off, you will need a sous vide machine. If you already have one, splendid. However, if you do not, I have a sneaking suspicion that you will not run out and buy one just for this recipe. With that said, a Sous Vide machine opens up a whole new culinary experience for you. The one that I use is the "Anova Culinary" | Sous Vide Precision Cooker. You can check them out at Amazon. In addition, you will need a Ziploc sealable bag, or a vacuum sealer. I love my vacuum sealer... Not only is it great in Sous Vide cooking, but it is great storing and saving all kinds of foods. The one I use is the "FoodSaver" brand. Very reliable. You can also check them out at Amazon.
• 3. So, what exactly is Sous Vide cooking? I call Sous Vide, "Cooking in a Jacuzzi." Think about it. You have a big pot of hot water with a pump to keep it circulating... sounds like a Jacuzzi to me. Sous Vide is not complicated at all; it is just a different way of cooking, than you may be used to performing. Sous Vide, pronounced 'sue veed' is a French term that translates to "under vacuum." In cooking, it is basically the technique of vacuum-sealing food in a plastic bag and submerging it into a temperature-controlled water bath for a predetermined amount of time. That's about it. In the case of our chicken breast, we will prep the chicken by seasoning, adding herbs or a sauce, vacuum seal and we are ready to go. You can keep the sealed bags in the fridge if using in the next day or two, or freeze them for later use. Then, fire up the Sous Vide machine, set the proper temperature, and come back when it is ready. If cooking frozen, add one hour to the cook time.
• 4. It is all about Temperature and Time: If we are to believe the government (and we all know that the government speaks ex cathedra), the magic number for the extermination of bad microorganisms is 165f (74c). So, if you cook a chicken breast to that precise temperature, all bugs instantly die a horrible death. Unfortunately, that temperature is really too much for a chicken breast, and they wind up coming out a bit on the arid side. So, we do things like brining, but that adds sodium to the chicken, and some people do not want, nor need the added salt. Do we take a chance on getting sick by cooking at a lower temperature, or do we just deal with dry chicken? To answer that question, we must return to the government. What the government is not telling you is that killing the bad bugs is a function of two things: temperature and time. I call the magic number, 165f (74c), the nuclear option. One second at that temperature, and those nasty bugs are dead, dead, dead. But what if we cooked that chicken at a lower temperature, for a longer period of time? And THAT is where Sous Vide comes into the picture.
• 5. Take a look at this chart, based on the USDA's website: Temperature- Time to Kill Bugs 136°F (58°C) 68.4 minutes 140°F (60°C) 27.5 minutes 145°F (63°C) 9.2 minutes 150°F (66°C) 2.8 minutes 155°F (68°C) 47.7 seconds 160°F (71°C) 14.8 seconds 165°F (74°C) Instant The temperatures on the left represent the temp of the Sous Vide bath water, and the time on the right represents the amount of time it takes, at that temp, to kill the bugs. So, If I set my Sous Vide machine to 136f (58c), once the chicken breast hits that temperature, 68.4 minutes, later the bugs will be dead. However, just to be sure, I will leave it in the water bath an additional hour. Although that temperature is perfectly safe, I do not like the mouth feel of chicken cooked that low, and another function of temperature is creating a firmer structure to the chicken breast. So, we are going to use 145f (63c). If unfrozen, it will take about 30 - 45 minutes for the chicken to get to that temperature, and we will leave it in the bath another hour or so. If you are using frozen chicken, add an additional hour to the cook time. It is a balancing act, between temperature and time. So, why does not the government talk more about temperature and time? Because they feel that to the average person it is too much information. "You mean I have to deal with temperature AND time? That is too much information. I will just cook to 165f (74c) and be done with it." This is not rocket science folks, it is good cooking... Full Stop
• 6. Can You Overcook Chicken in Sous Vide? It is hard to overcook chicken; however, anything is possible. For example, our chicken breast will be cooked at 145f (63c) in a time window of 2 - 4 hours. However, the longer a piece of chicken sits at a given temperature, the more it breaks down, and the softer it becomes. So, if you left it in the Sous Vide machine for 8 hours it would still be edible, but probably would not taste very good. Mushy is the word that comes to mind.
• 7. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 8. Place your Sous Vide machine in a pot of water, set the temp to 145f (63c), then allow it to get to temperature, about 10 - 15 minutes.
• 9. Cut the lemon in half, then take one half and cut into slices, and squeeze the other half into a small bowl.
• 10. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, pepper and dill, then top with the lemon slices. Add the butter, and lemon juice, then seal.
• 11. Chef's Tip: If you do a lot of Sous Vide cooking you may want to get yourself a vacuum sealer; however, there is another way. Simply take a Ziploc bag, put all the ingredients in, and remove as much air as possible before sealing. Water Displacement Method: Getting all the air out of Ziploc bags is easy. You just place your food in the bag, including any liquids or marinades, and seal all but one corner. Then, place it in the water bath, being sure everything below the zip-line is covered by water. The pressure of the water will help to force the air out of the bag. Then seal the rest of the bag. If you find that your bag wants to float, simply use a big clip, and clip the bag to the side of the pot.
• 12. Set it and forget it. Add the bag to the Sous Vide machine and come back in 2 hours.
• 13. PLATE/PRESENT
• 14. Remove from the bath, open the bag, and serve on a salad, or as a main dish with mash taters and broccoli. I sliced it and laid it on a bed of pasta with a creamy parmesan sauce. Enjoy.
• 15. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.

SOUS VIDE SALMON RECIPE WITH CAPER SAUCE

Steps:

• PREPARE SOUS VIDE BATH: Fill water in the sous vide machine as per manufacturers instructions (not too high). Set the temperature to 125F/52C (for slightly above medium rare) and allow water to heat to that temperature. HINT: start with hot water to reduce heating time. Note 1 to choose other temperatures.
• PREPARE SALMON: Brine salmon if you have time (optional but good). Note 2. If you don't brine, generously season the salmon with salt, pepper. Either way, add chives and drizzle with olive oil. To vacuum seal bag (Note 3 to use zipper lock bag instead), fold back top of a sous vide bag about an inch to create a flap (this ensures no food touches the top of the bag where it gets sealed). Insert both salmon fillets, ensuring no overlap. Unfold the flap and vacuum seal the bag using a vacuum sealer.
• SOUS VIDE SALMON: When temperature of sous vide reaches 125F (or whatever temp you choose), submerge sealed bag with the salmon into the water. If using ziploc bag, follow directions in Note 3. Timing: if salmon is 1/2-1 inch thick, cook minimum 30 minutes, maximum 45 minutes; if salmon is 1-2 inches thick, cook minimum 40 minutes, maximum 60 minutes. I usually cook mine for 40-45 minutes.
• MAKE CAPER SAUCE: While the salmon is cooking, heat a small saucepan to medium with oil. Add garlic and saute for a minute, not letting it burn. Add capers and lemon juice. Cook for a minute. Remove pan from heat and stir in butter and chopped parsley until sauce is smooth. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.
• FINISH DISH: Remove the salmon from the water bath. Cut open the bag and remove the salmon. If one side of salmon has skin, slide a spatula between the skin and the bottom of the flesh and lift off the salmon onto a plate without the skin. (or flip salmon over and peel off skin). Discard skin. Pour sauce over salmon and serve.

SOUS VIDE ESSENTIALS: PERFECT RICE

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. I have been cooking sous vide, long before it became popular in American kitchens. The process is simple: You seal your food in Ziploc bag, or use a vacuum sealer, and immerse into a water bath that maintains an exact temperature. Time on sous vide can range from 15 minutes, to 48 hours.
• 3. For this recipe you will need a sous vide machine. They come in all shapes, sizes, and prices. However, once you get the hang of using one, I really believe you will love it.
• 4. If you are not using a vacuum-sealing machine (Food Saver, etc.), then you are probably using standard plastic food bags (Ziploc, etc.). To get as much of the air out of the bag, as possible, use the water displacement method. The easiest way to accomplish this is to slowly sink it into a pan of water, with the top open, and allow the pressure of the water pushing against the bag to force out most of the air. Then, seal the bag, and you are good to go. If I am using Ziploc-type bags, I always clip the bag to the side of the container with the zip-seal portion above the water line. One more thing, do not use the "regular" Ziploc bags; use the ones designed to go into the freezer. They are much stronger and less prone to leaks.
• 5. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 6. Place the sous vide machine into a pot of water and bring it up to a temperature of 200f (95c).
• 7. Add the rice, water (or broth), salt, and butter to a Ziploc bag, or vacuum bag.
• 8. If you notice, in step 7 there are two small round objects on the bottom ends of the bags... Those are two pairs of heavy-duty magnets that I clip to the bottom of the bag. Their additional weight keeps the bag from floating to the surface.
• 9. Add any desired seasonings.
• 10. Allow the rice to cook for 25 minutes.
• 11. PLATE/PRESENT
• 12. Remove from the bag, place on a plate or bowl, and serve while nice and warm. Enjoy.
• 13. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.