A few months before I wrote this series, over dinner at a Peruvian restaurant, your blog master described her vision for Shades of Goodness. When she asked me to contribute to the blog, and considering our history, I expected she would assign me to Word Matter. Imagine my surprise when she asked me to contribute to Culinary Magic. Write about food? What do I know about food writing? I thought to myself. However, I sensed she picked up something in me that needed a vehicle for release.
“Would you write something about that thing you do with bags in hot water?” she asked.
“Sure,” I responded, hoping she wouldn’t notice the hint of self-doubt in my voice.
Which leads to my most recent kitchen additions: an immersion circulator and a vacuum sealer.
Thoughts of acquiring these pieces started a few years ago. My friend, a corporate pastry chef at a Swiss chocolate company, told me about one of his restaurateur friends who served sous vide steak. It had a texture he thoroughly enjoyed and could not reproduce by grilling.
My curiosity was stirred, and I gave the poor man’s version a shot. I chose fish since I usually have “Vegas” odds of overcooking. After dropping a salmon-filled, air-evacuated zipper bag in a water-filled pot on the stove, I read a digital thermometer and manually adjusted the stovetop burner. Read thermometer, burner on. Watch thermometer, burner off. Watch TV. Read thermometer, Ok. Watch TV. Read thermometer, burner on. Watch thermometer, burner off. Watch thermometer, burner off. Continue for 30 minutes. Overcooked. Buy salmon. Repeat at lower temperature. Overcooked. Buy salmon. Repeat at even lower temperature. Hey, this is good!
When I finally got the temperature right, I’d buy frozen, vacuum-sealed fish, such as mango coconut salmon, herb butter swordfish, and sesame teriyaki mahi mahi for a tasty meal with just a little effort and patience. Although lesser quality fish than those displayed on ice, they were convenient.
I decided to take the next step with new hardware. The immersion circulator looked out of place amidst flimsy measuring spoons, rusty strainers, and soda-can-thin flatware. If my kitchen gadgets were in high school, they’d have the circulator’s poster on the wall. The vacuum sealer is the approachable companion; not poster material, but it’s definitely on their hopeful encounters list.
The first test case was a never-frozen Atlantic salmon. A few button pushes on the control panel and the immersion circulator held the stockpot water at 120oF. A buzz of the vacuum pump and a hum of the heat strip sealed the filet. I dropped it in the food hot tub and waited expectantly. 30 minutes later, I opened the bag and plated the fish. Oh, my. The velvety smooth and buttery rich flesh was more than I expected.
I followed the same process for the duck breast, but at 135oF. During this test, I encountered one of the best advantages of sous vide cooking. I let the bird part stay in the hot tub 30 minutes longer than the necessary cooking time so I could finish watching the NFC Championship game. Without the possibility of overcooking this method is virtually idiot-proof. I emptied the bagged contents at my leisure, and then seared the skin. The medium flesh and crispy skin was better than anything I had prepared in a skillet. I was amazed it was served in my kitchen.
Now for the main attraction. My favorite beef cut is the rib eye, but not just any rib eye. It has to be USDA Prime or Japanese wagyu. They are rare finds, but there are a few butchers in my area that sell Prime and fewer still that sell genuine wagyu. Since the purveyors aren’t near me, I made a morning of my shopping. I woke up earlier than usual on a Saturday and headed south, avoiding Los Angeles’s notorious weekday traffic. Arriving at LA’s Farmers’ Market, I had a Croque Madame for breakfast and then picked up Felchlin® Maricaibo Classificado 65% and Valrhona® Poudre de Cacao to make chocolate ice cream. When I got to the butcher the displayed USDA Prime rib eyes were cut about an inch and a half thick and weighed 20 ounces each. I purchased two of them thinking will I be able to finish one in a single sitting?
Back home the kitchen’s cool kids bagged and heated a steak to 130oF. Two hours later, I broke the bag open and patted the steak dry. A hot pan brought a sizzle and a mesmerizing puff of smoke leaving behind a flavorful crust. I sliced the steak on a cutting board with a forged steel blade revealing the strata of medium-rare red guarded by a thin gray sear. No need for a plate. I ate it off the board. Twenty ounces in twenty minutes. The last time I had steak like this, Ruth charged $45 for 16 ounces, and once again, I’m amazed it was prepared in my kitchen.
Sous vide and food blogging are waypoints on my journey that started with the humble McDonald’s® hamburger. This voyage has no set ending, and the not-so-latent question in my mind today is where will food blogging lead? I invite you to join me, and tell your story.
“What culinary experiences are waiting for you to discover?”
Michael Gabertan discovered eating a few hours after discovering breathing and has been on a culinary journey ever since. The college summer he experienced lobster bisque, cherries jubilee, and white linen tablecloth introduced dining excellence to his voyage.
Business travel permitted Michael to visit fine restaurants around the country. Personal travel introduced him to foreign interpretations of dining excellence. He was not always looking for amuse-bouches and petit fours, but a place that exhibited a passion for food prepared and served well. Whether it was a Michelin 3-star restaurant or a food truck, Michael looked for enthusiasm bordering on obsession for places to visit.
Michael has no training in food preparation or service. However, to deepen his appreciation of the effort to produce and serve a fine dish, he attempts to cook at home. Sometimes he is successful. Other times he goes to In-N-Out®.
