Use and Care

47
Sous-vide cooking
Sous-vide cooking is a method of cooking under a
vacuum at low temperatures between 120 - 200°F (50 -
95 °C) and in 100% steam.
Sous-vide cooking is a gentle, low-fat method of
preparing meat, fish, vegetables and desserts. A
vacuum-packing machine is used to heat-seal the food in
a special air-tight, heat-resistant cooking bag.
The protective envelope retains the nutrients and
flavors. The low temperatures and the direct transfer of
heat allow precisely controlled cooking in order to
achieve the desired cooking results.It is almost
impossible to overcook the food.
Portions
Use the portion sizes listed in the cooking table. For
relatively large quantities and items, the cooking time
must be adjusted accordingly.
The portions given for fish, meat and poultry correspond
to a single serving. A portion size sufficient for four
people has been selected for vegetables and desserts.
Rack levels
You can cook on up to two levels. Place the cooking
containers on levels 1 and 3 to achieve the best cooking
results. When cooking on just one level, use level 2.
Hygiene
9 WARNING
Health risk
Sous-vide cooking is a method of cooking at low
temperatures.As a result, it is important that you
always follow the application and hygiene
instructions below:
▯ Use only fresh, good-quality food.
▯ Wash and disinfect your hands. Use disposable
gloves or cooking/grill tongs.
▯ Take extra care when preparing critical food, such
as poultry, eggs and fish.
▯ Always thoroughly rinse and/or peel fruit and
vegetables.
▯ Always keep work surfaces and chopping boards
clean. Use different chopping boards for different
types of food.
▯ Maintain the cold chain.Make sure that you only
interrupt it briefly to prepare the food, and then
return the food in its vacuum-sealed bag to the
refrigerator for storage before you cook it.
▯ Food is suitable for immediate consumption only.
Once the food is cooked, consume it immediately.
Do not store it after cooking – not even in the
refrigerator.It is not suitable for reheating.
Vacuum-pack bags
When using the sous-vide cooking method, only use
heat-resistant vacuum-pack bags designed for this
purpose.
Do not cook the food in the bag you bought it in (e.g.
portions of fish). These bags are not suitable for sous-
vide cooking.
Vacuum sealing
Use a chamber vacuum-packing machine that can create
a vacuum of at least 99% to vacuum-seal the food. This
is the only way to achieve even heat transfer and
therefore a perfect cooking result.
Before cooking the food, check whether the vacuum in
the bag is intact. Make sure that:
▯ There is no/hardly any air in the vacuum-pack bag.
▯ The seam is perfectly sealed.
▯ There are no holes in the vacuum-pack bag. Do not
use the core temperature probe.
▯ Pieces of meat and fish that have been vacuum-
sealed together are not pressed directly against
one another.
▯ As far as possible, you avoid piling up vegetables
and desserts when vacuum-sealing them.
If in doubt, place the food into a new bag and vacuum-
seal it again.
Food should be vacuum-sealed at most one day before it
is cooked. This is the only way to prevent the escape of
gases from the food (e.g. from vegetables) which inhibit
the transfer of heat, or to prevent the texture of the food
from changing, and thus altering how it cooks.
Quality of the food
The quality of the cooking result is 100% influenced by
the quality of the ingredients you use. Use only fresh,
top-quality food. This is the only way to guarantee a
consistent cooking result that delivers impeccable
flavor.
Preparation
Sous-vide cooking prevents flavors from escaping,
intensifying the food's natural flavor. Please note that
the usual quantities of seasoning and condiments, such
as herbs, spices and garlic, will have a much greater
effect on the flavor. Start off by halving the quantities
you usually use.
If the ingredients are of high quality, it is often sufficient
to enclose them in the bag with just a small piece of
butter and a little salt and pepper. Generally, the fact
that the food's natural flavors intensify during cooking is
sufficient on its own to produce a flavorful cooking
result.
Do not place the vacuum-sealed food items on top of
one another or too close together in the cooking