sous-vide cooking

Meaning

This phrase describes a method of cooking food—especially meat, fish, or vegetables—by vacuum-sealing it in a plastic pouch and placing it in a water bath at an accurately regulated, relatively low temperature. It ensures extremely even cooking, retains natural moisture, and is favored by both professional chefs and home enthusiasts.

Examples

• Sous-vide cooking ensures that the steak is cooked to a perfect medium-rare from edge to edge.

  Sous-vide cooking ensures that the steak is cooked to a perfect medium-rare from edge to edge.

• Many modern home chefs have invested in immersion circulators to try sous-vide cooking.

  Many modern home chefs have invested in immersion circulators to try sous-vide cooking.

• Because of the low temperatures used in sous-vide cooking, it can take several hours to prepare tough cuts of meat.

  Because of the low temperatures used in sous-vide cooking, it can take several hours to prepare tough cuts of meat.

• The main advantage of sous-vide cooking is the unparalleled precision and consistency it offers.

  The main advantage of sous-vide cooking is the unparalleled precision and consistency it offers.

• She prefers sous-vide cooking for salmon because it prevents the delicate fish from drying out.

  She prefers sous-vide cooking for salmon because it prevents the delicate fish from drying out.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I cooked the chicken sous-vide style with a pot of boiling water.

  ✓ I cooked the chicken using sous-vide cooking in a temperature-controlled water bath.

  Sous-vide cooking requires precise, low-temperature control (usually well below boiling). Boiling water defeats the purpose of this gentle technique.

• ✗ We are having a sous-vide cooking for lunch.

  ✓ We are having sous-vide chicken for lunch.

  'Sous-vide cooking' is the method, not the food item itself. Use 'sous-vide' as an adjective to describe the dish, or refer to the process of cooking.

Related Expressions

Practice

• To achieve perfectly tender duck breasts, the kitchen relies on ___.

  💡 Cooking vacuum-sealed food in a water bath.

  Show answer

  sous-vide cooking

• Unlike traditional roasting, ___ prevents moisture loss by sealing the food in airtight bags.

  💡 A precise water bath method.

  Show answer

  sous-vide cooking