For me, I found sous vide cooking to be the most innovative and greatest piece of technology to ever have been surfaced in the culinary world.
What is Sous Vide? History? Sous vide is French for "under vacuum". It is a cooking technique where foods that are vacuum packed in plastic are cooked in water at precise temperatures for longer periods of time.
Sous vide cooking was first mentioned by Sir Benjamin Thompson (Count Rumfort) in 1799. It was then brought back by American and French engineers in the 1960's as a preservation method. Finally, sous vide cooking was finalized by in the mid 1970's by chef Georges Pralus (at the Michelin Three-Star Restaurant, Troisgros, in Roanne, France). His main purpose of sous vide cooking was towards cooking fois gras, due to its delicacy and and to minimize shrinkage. Sous vide cooking was brought further into the light by Chef Bruno Goussault, who had used sous vide cooking to cook high quality meals for Air France. The pictures below are of Count Rumford, Georges Pralus and Bruno Goussault respectively.
Why is it Important? Sous vide cooking has become a revolutionary cooking technique from the astounding results it brings. With the precise temperature control that sous vide brings, it removes the risk of overcooking and will always guarantee a perfectly cooked product. This feat alone will remove overcooking and waste from restaurants. Another great thing about sous vide cooking is the removal of shrinkage of food. Food oxidizes while cooking and shrivels up which results in a smaller product. With cooking in a vacuum sealed package, the food no longer oxidizes and will not shrink in the vacuum pack. Because of this, portions will not shrink and costs of food will change significantly.
Summary of Thoughts In conclusion, sous vide cooking is an amazing, revolutionary piece of technology. It removes the risk of incorrectly cooking food and helps save money through bigger portion costs and less waste. Top restaurants have started to use sous vide and have also been spreading towards homes as well! If I had a choice, I would definitely invest in my own sous vide machine for my home and would recommend it to anyone!