Balsamico Reduction; 1l balsamico, 300gr raw sugar, 100g sparkeling apple cider
Ruduce till 6dl (great for garnishing plates or salad)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Sous-vide
I'm in love with sous-vide technique.I think this will be the future of the kitchen. I know Europe is using sous-vide for already a long time, but for me is brand new.
I worked in a restaurant as a sous chef and I had the opportunity to try a lot of recipes using this technique.
As Chef Patrick said, you have to dominate all the cooking methods to understand how to cook sous-vide.
Actually, sous-vide is a tool for all the classic techniques. A tool for high precision and lower range of fail.
So, before having fun with sous-vide, check out some important rules.
Never vacuum pack a hot item
This was the first rule I learned with Chef Patrick and the first one that I broke and got fucked.
At DCT I made a lamb loin cooked confit in olive oil and herbs.
First I browned the loin and then I added to the bag with seasoning and oil.
The thing was hot, and at that time I forgot what Chef Patrick said about hot items and I tried to vacuum pack the thing.It started to boil like crazy!
Then I understood in low pressure the liquid boil in lower temperatures.
What's the problem?
The meat juices started to boil, bursting the cells and releasing some of its juice.
Hygiene
In anaerobic environment like a vacuum package, bacteria like Botulism and Salmonella can live and multiply in warm temperatures. So be careful, use clean tools bags, gloves and just fresh ingredients.
As most of the bacteria live at the surface of the meat, if possible you should brown the surface when the product is done.
Serve or chill
When your baby is done, serve it or chill it the fastest you can. This mean you have to dunk it in ice until it cools completely and then store in the fridge or freezer.
Confit meats like duck in fat can be stored for up to six months in the fridge and vegetables sometimes three months, depending on the acidity, salt or sugar percentage or if it was confit in some fat like olive oil.
Temperature
You have to have a good control of the temperature of your combi oven or thermal circulator.
It's easy when you cook meat. If you want a beef medium rare you are looking for around 58° C , right?
So set up the oven to 58° C and wait until the internal temperature reach the doneness.
A small piece of meat will cook faster than a bigger one, but even if you forget the thing in the oven, you still have control because the temperature will never reach more than 58° C. This doesn't mean you can left the meat there forever. Believe me, you will overcook the food and fail hardcore.
Ok, but how can I cook a tough piece of meat?
Now the craziest part. When a shank reaches 58° C it is still not eatable, but when it reaches 65.5° C the collagen will brake down, so you can have a shank juicy and tender as a prime cut.Ribs can be served medium rare and meltingly tender. Of course it will take a long time, up to 48 hours, but...you know...it will be awesome!
Seriously, this changed all my concepts about cooking meat.
Now some food with cooking temperatures and time
Beef Sirloin (400g) 59.5°C 45 minutes
Chicken legs 64° C 1 hour
Duck breast 60.5° C 25 minutes
Lobster tail 59.9° C 15 minutes
Octopus 77° C 5 hours
Tuna (220g) 59.5° C 13 minutes
Vegetables 85° C try yourself
Hope I helped you guys a bit.
Ade!
I worked in a restaurant as a sous chef and I had the opportunity to try a lot of recipes using this technique.
As Chef Patrick said, you have to dominate all the cooking methods to understand how to cook sous-vide.
Actually, sous-vide is a tool for all the classic techniques. A tool for high precision and lower range of fail.
So, before having fun with sous-vide, check out some important rules.
Never vacuum pack a hot item
This was the first rule I learned with Chef Patrick and the first one that I broke and got fucked.
At DCT I made a lamb loin cooked confit in olive oil and herbs.
First I browned the loin and then I added to the bag with seasoning and oil.
The thing was hot, and at that time I forgot what Chef Patrick said about hot items and I tried to vacuum pack the thing.It started to boil like crazy!
Then I understood in low pressure the liquid boil in lower temperatures.
What's the problem?
The meat juices started to boil, bursting the cells and releasing some of its juice.
Hygiene
In anaerobic environment like a vacuum package, bacteria like Botulism and Salmonella can live and multiply in warm temperatures. So be careful, use clean tools bags, gloves and just fresh ingredients.
As most of the bacteria live at the surface of the meat, if possible you should brown the surface when the product is done.
Serve or chill
When your baby is done, serve it or chill it the fastest you can. This mean you have to dunk it in ice until it cools completely and then store in the fridge or freezer.
Confit meats like duck in fat can be stored for up to six months in the fridge and vegetables sometimes three months, depending on the acidity, salt or sugar percentage or if it was confit in some fat like olive oil.
Temperature
You have to have a good control of the temperature of your combi oven or thermal circulator.
It's easy when you cook meat. If you want a beef medium rare you are looking for around 58° C , right?
So set up the oven to 58° C and wait until the internal temperature reach the doneness.
A small piece of meat will cook faster than a bigger one, but even if you forget the thing in the oven, you still have control because the temperature will never reach more than 58° C. This doesn't mean you can left the meat there forever. Believe me, you will overcook the food and fail hardcore.
Ok, but how can I cook a tough piece of meat?
Now the craziest part. When a shank reaches 58° C it is still not eatable, but when it reaches 65.5° C the collagen will brake down, so you can have a shank juicy and tender as a prime cut.Ribs can be served medium rare and meltingly tender. Of course it will take a long time, up to 48 hours, but...you know...it will be awesome!
Seriously, this changed all my concepts about cooking meat.
Now some food with cooking temperatures and time
Beef Sirloin (400g) 59.5°C 45 minutes
Chicken legs 64° C 1 hour
Duck breast 60.5° C 25 minutes
Lobster tail 59.9° C 15 minutes
Octopus 77° C 5 hours
Tuna (220g) 59.5° C 13 minutes
Vegetables 85° C try yourself
Hope I helped you guys a bit.
Ade!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Hey!
You! From DCT Summer term 2008! If you want to enjoy this blog, send me a message (email, msn) and let's start this thing!
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