The Canadian Press
Don’t discount vegetables when it comes to sous vide cooking, says chef Chris McDonald.
People tend to use the device for meat and fish, but it’s also useful for vegetables, eggs, egg-based desserts and sauces that can be tricky to make at home. And even oatmeal.
“Your asparagus comes out with a way more intense flavour because there’s no flavour leaching out into your cooking water so you get a much more intense, more asparagus-y flavour and then you can go on to grill it if you want just to warm it through or you can just take it straight out of the bag and have it,” says McDonald, author of “The Complete Sous Vide Cookbook” (Robert Rose Inc.).
Sous vide cooking requires food be sealed — whether in a plastic zipper-close freezer bag, sous vide pouch or canning jar — and immersed in warm water. Each recipe indicates the precise temperature and number of hours required.
McDonald recommends purchasing a vacuum-sealing device or premium plastic bags that are free of Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used to make some hard plastic containers and toys that was formally declared a toxic substance by Canadian authorities in 2010.
Because you’re not cooking at a temperature as high as with a microwave there is no danger from the bags, says McDonald, which can be washed and reused for those with concerns about generating waste.
With 175 recipes he created or adapted, McDonald lends his 35 years of expertise to cover the bases for everything a home cook might want to try. “The book runs from chicken breasts to quite complex restaurant-style recipes,” he says.
He includes three recipes for octopus using different approaches. “It was the most confounding thing for me to figure out how to cook properly in my career really and so I wanted to empower people to do it at home,” he says.
There are even desserts that include fruit, which the sous vide machine turns into a “tidy, trouble-free endeavour.” However, McDonald says though it’s possible to prepare flour-based sweets in a sous vide machine, he doesn’t see any advantage because there is no browning or fragrance of fresh baking.
FILIPINO PORK BELLY ADOBO
This luscious sweet-and-sour pork belly is McDonald’s variation on what’s considered the national dish of the Philippines. It’s hearty, filling and incredibly satisfying, says McDonald. Serve with steamed rice and a simple vegetable such as green beans or okra with preserved lemon.
You can halve or double this recipe.
The pork belly should be prepared ahead, but it’s best to make this recipe the same day you plan to eat it.
In this recipe the pork becomes tender and almost ready to fall apart just as the liquid is reduced to a slightly sticky, quite dark glaze on the meat. If the pork is ready before the sauce, transfer it to a plate and cover while continuing to reduce the sauce. If the sauce is ready but the pork needs further cooking, add water to the skillet, a little at a time, to keep the sauce from over-reducing.
Adding 1 or 2 ground small dried chilies will add a nice spicy heat, if desired.
Piloncillo is a Latin American unrefined sugar made by boiling down sugar cane juice. Palm sugar is more appropriate for Filipino cuisine, but it can be difficult to find the right kind. Piloncillo comes in cones, which are easily grated with a box grater. Just grate the amount you need for the recipe and store the rest in a cool, dark place in an airtight container. Piloncillo has nice caramel and molasses notes; you can substitute turbinado or muscovado sugar in a pinch.
1 batch Essential Char Siu-Style Pork Belly (recipe follows), fully cooked, cooking liquid reserved
60 ml (1/4 cup) cider vinegar
30 ml (2 tbsp) finely chopped garlic
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
30 ml (2 tbsp) grated piloncillo sugar
7 ml (1 1/2 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
4 bay leaves
Cut prepared pork belly into 2.5-cm (1-inch) chunks, leaving rind on if present. Set aside.
In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, combine pork belly, vinegar, garlic, onion, sugar, pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain a slow simmer and stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until juices are reduced to a sticky caramelized glaze and pork is very tender but not falling apart. (The cooking time will depend on the diameter of your skillet; go larger if you are unsure.) To prevent burning, check the mixture constantly as the juices reduce.
Serve pork on warm plates.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
ESSENTIAL CHAR SIU-STYLE PORK BELLY
Char siu was originally a Cantonese preparation of roast pork. It was adapted by the Japanese, who call it chashu and eat it mostly as a topping for steaming bowls of ramen. This recipe is designed for the same use and also as a base for Filipino Pork Belly Adobo.
Be sure to reserve the cooking liquid for Filipino Pork Belly Adobo or use it to season ramen broth. Strain liquid through a fine-mesh sieve before using.
You can easily halve or double this recipe to suit your needs. If you double the recipe, use 2 bags.
900 g (2 lb) fresh pork belly (rind on or off)
90 ml (6 tbsp) soy sauce
90 ml (6 tbsp) sake
15 ml (1 tbsp) liquid honey
2 green onions, thinly sliced
15 ml (1 tbsp) finely chopped ginger root
Preheat hot water bath to 68.3 C (155 F).
If the pork belly has the rind attached, use a sharp paring knife to score it at 2.5-cm (1-inch) intervals across the belly. Repeat in the opposite direction, scoring at a 90-degree angle to the first set of slashes.
In a heatproof glass measuring cup or small saucepan, stir together soy sauce, sake and honey. To cook off some of the alcohol in the sake, microwave on High for 2 minutes or bring to a boil on the stove over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in green onions and ginger. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until chilled.
Transfer pork belly and soy sauce mixture to large resealable freezer bag.
Seal bag and immerse in preheated hot water bath. Cook for 10 to 12 hours.
Remove bag from hot water bath, transfer to an ice bath and chill for 30 minutes. (To make ahead, refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 6 months. To use frozen pork belly, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.)
Remove pork belly from bag, reserving cooking liquid for Filipino Pork Belly Adobo. (You can also use it to season ramen broth.) Strain liquid through a fine-mesh sieve before using.) Pat pork belly dry with paper towels and remove skin, if desired.
Makes 6 to 8 servings
WHITE ASPARAGUS WITH RICOTTA
McDonald says this recipe is the one he’s most proud of in the book.
“You cook the white asparagus in milk ‚Äî the milk ends up being infused with the flavour of the white asparagus to a degree ‚Äî and then you take the milk and bring it to a simmer with some yogurt stirred in so that it curdles and you end up with a ricotta that tastes of white asparagus and then you go on to season the ricotta and use it as a sauce for the asparagus.”
“It was just something that came out of the blue. I haven’t seen it anywhere. It’s a bit exotic because it’s white asparagus, but it’s easy and it’s a way to show readers how to cook white asparagus at home.”
The bottom half of asparagus tends to have a stringy exterior. Peeling allows the whole spear to be tender from end to end, which is essential for white asparagus.
This recipe can be doubled.
Fresh chives and mint, in combination or alone, make a great substitute for the pesto. Chop and mix with the ricotta. Add a big pinch of salt and some freshly ground pepper to adjust the seasoning.
2 ml (1/2 tsp) kosher salt
2 ml (1/2 tsp) granulated sugar
250 ml (1 cup) whole milk
225 g (1/2 lb) white asparagus, trimmed and peeled (reserve peelings)
15 to 30 ml (1 to 2 tbsp) plain yogurt
15 ml (1 tbsp) pesto
Preheat hot water bath to 90 C (194 F).
In a small saucepan over low heat (or in a microwave), dissolve salt and sugar in milk. Transfer asparagus, asparagus peelings and milk to a large resealable freezer bag and seal.
Immerse bag in preheated hot water bath. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, depending on thickness and desired doneness (McDonald finds white asparagus is best when fully cooked and tender). Check pouch after 45 minutes, giving asparagus a squeeze to check doneness. Be careful when handling the bag — you are cooking at a high temperature so it will be hot. Remove bag from hot water bath. (To make ahead, chill bag in an ice bath for 30 minutes, then transfer to refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat asparagus in hot water bath at 71.1 C/160 F for 5 minutes.)
Drain liquid from asparagus into a small saucepan, discarding peelings. Transfer asparagus to a plate; cover with foil and a folded kitchen towel to keep warm while preparing the sauce.
Stir 15 ml (1 tbsp) yogurt into saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. The milk should separate. If it doesn’t, stir in a little more yogurt and continue cooking. Pour liquid through fine-mesh sieve and let drain ‚Äî do not press on solids as you want the ricotta to stay moist. Discard liquid. Transfer ricotta to a small bowl and stir in pesto.
Place asparagus on warm plates, garnish with ricotta and serve immediately. The dish will be only slightly warm, which is intended and preferred.
Makes 2 portions.
CREME BRULEE
Creme brulee is one of the most popular desserts on restaurant menus, and it’s easy to make at home using your sous vide device. Small canning jars make the perfect portion size ‚Äî you can torch the sugar and serve them right in the jar.
“You don’t have to worry about it being completely without air because the glass will weight down the jar and you seal them and you drop them into your sous vide setup and the custard cooks to the perfect consistency and then you can take them as gifts to parties, take them to dinner at someone else’s house and finish them there,” says McDonald.
McDonald recommends using new jars that have not previously been heat stressed.
250 ml (1 cup) whole milk
150 ml (2/3 cup) heavy or whipping (35 per cent) cream
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
30 ml (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
60 ml (1/4 cup) granulated sugar, divided
In a small saucepan, combine milk and cream. Bring to a simmer, stirring, over medium heat. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, egg, 30 ml (2 tbsp) sugar and vanilla until well blended. Gradually whisk in milk mixture. Strain through fine-mesh sieve into a liquid measuring cup. (To make uncooked custard ahead, transfer mixture to an airtight container, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.)
Pour equal amounts of mixture into jars, leaving 1-cm (1/2 inch) headspace. Wipe rims of jars thoroughly to ensure a good seal. Add lids and turn just until snug. Immerse jars in hot water bath preheated to 80 C (176 F) and cook for 50 minutes.
Remove jars from bath and let cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 3 days.
When ready to serve, open jars and spread 15 ml (1 tbsp) sugar evenly over surface of each custard. With torch at full blast, holding it 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 inches) from surface, wave it over sugar. Keep torch moving constantly to avoid blackening sugar — you want a deep golden brown. Each custard will take about 2 minutes to complete. Let cool for 3 to 4 minutes, then serve.
Makes 4 servings.
