Stove-top Sous Vide

[KJT]

I've posted about this on a few different threads, so first, sorry about reposting some of this information. I wanted to document my experiments with sous vide cooking sans equipment.

I happened across this blog post followed the technique yesterday to sous vide some eggs. http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2011/...best-duck.html

I'll take some pics of how I set it up today when I try something else for dinner, but basically took a Le Creuset pot, filled it with hot water, threw in a silicon pad in the bottom for extra insulation, hung a digital probe thermometer in the water. The water out of the tap was like 138F, and I needed to get to 148F, so I put it on about 3 on the stove top to get it to temp. Once there, I dropped the heat down to low. Adding the eggs dropped the temp a little, so I adjusted it over the next 15 minutes or so to find a balance, and then let the eggs cook for about an hour at 148F. Dropped them in a tepid water bath for 10 minutes, then peel and washed away the whites, and got these pictures below:

Just yolk with white cleaned off:

Cut open:

Bread crumbed & pan fried:

Tonight, I'm making the sous vide duck breast in the blog post, and will document the process. We'll see if I can recreate the delicious texture!

 

[Piobaire]

Very cool! Well done.

 

[itsstillmatt]

That is way too well done for a yolk IMO. Try a degree less.

Edit - On second thought, it needs to be that thick in order to be workable in that way, which is why this is a better thing to do with a mollet egg than a sous vide yolk. That degree of yolk cooking can't have a good feel in the mouth.

 

[KJT]

Originally Posted by iammatt

That is way too well done for a yolk IMO. Try a degree less.

Edit - On second thought, it needs to be that thick in order to be workable in that way, which is why this is a better thing to do with a mollet egg than a sous vide yolk. That degree of yolk cooking can't have a good feel in the mouth.

The plain yolk in the picture above had the mouthfeel of custard and was actually good on a toast point. The pan fried yolk was just a touch harder, but was still good. Next time I will deep fry them as the recipe calls for, to create a better crust.

This is the recipe that I was following (loosely):
http://seattlefoodgeek.com/2010/09/d...ide-egg-yolks/

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by KJT

The plain yolk in the picture above had the mouthfeel of custard and was actually good on a toast point. The pan fried yolk was just a touch harder, but was still good. Next time I will deep fry them as the recipe calls for, to create a better crust.

This is the recipe that I was following (loosely):
http://seattlefoodgeek.com/2010/09/d...ide-egg-yolks/
Yeah, 64.5 is too high in my opinion. It makes for an almost modeling clay like texture. 63.5 is the best for eating, but you can't then manipulate them as easily.

 

[KJT]

Originally Posted by iammatt

Yeah, 64.5 is too high in my opinion. It makes for an almost modeling clay like texture. 63.5 is the best for eating, but you can't then manipulate them as easily.

Would you eat one cooked at 63.5 as you would a poached egg?

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by KJT

Would you eat one cooked at 63.5 as you would a poached egg?
Pretty much. I mean, it is different than poached, because the white doesn't firm up much.

 

[KJT]

Duck breasts are in.

 

[mm84321]

Originally Posted by KJT

Duck breasts are in.
Looking forward to pictures!

 

[KJT]

Setup. I'm cooking with the top partially on to help maintain temp, but took it off for the photo :

Sous chef Frank:

Flickr is acting weird, so if the 2 pictures don't show, just refresh.

 

[Nil]

Hah, doing the same thing with a duck breast right now. Just seasoned it and letting it marinade for a bit before putting it into the pot.

 

[mm84321]

Originally Posted by KJT

Sous chef Frank:

I have the same type of sous chef. The kind that just sits and stares at you the whole time you're cooking waiting for something to drop on the floor.

 

[KJT]

Originally Posted by Nil

Hah, doing the same thing with a duck breast right now. Just seasoned it and letting it marinade for a bit before putting it into the pot.

Can you take some photos? I'd be interested to see how your experience turns out.

 

[KJT]

Originally Posted by RenZizewzedge

Outta my thread.

 

[Nil]

Originally Posted by KJT

Can you take some photos? I'd be interested to see how your experience turns out.

I'll attempt to. I must forewarn you, I've never cooked duck breast before but as this method seems basically fool proof, I have high hopes.