Sous vide cooking is a unique method of cooking since it enhances the meals with good flavors, color and texture that can attract the human eye into consuming the food that makes most people choose to use it. Sous vide cooking allows the user to pack a lot of food with the flavors they want or like the most. After packing the user now can choose the right type of seasonings they can use with their food.
Seasoning is the process of adding flavors to the food like herbs, salt and other spices such that it creates a good taste and brings together the ingredients in the food to make it sweeter. Therefore, you can season your food before starting the cooking process with Sous vide.
The guide below discusses the things you need to use for the seasoning process and then narrates when you should use it in Sous vide cooking.
When do you use seasonal food in Sous vide?
Normally, it is advisable to season your food before Sous vide cooking. As said earlier seasoning of food involves adding different types of seasonings to the bag before placing them in the water bath to Sous vide it. When you add the seasonings together with the food in the bag, the ingredients will have a good time to meld during the Sous vide cooking process. And the seasonings can add lots of flavors to the food when it is in the bag.
However, with the issue of salt it is good to add it either after or before but when you are adding it before, choose to use half the amount the food needs to be fine. Scientists advise people to try adding in two different occasions to identify which one fits them well. The different ingredients for seasoning depend on the type of ingredients since some are delicate and you can only add them after Sous vide cooking while some are hard and you need to cook them to add the flavor.
Things to use for seasoning in Sous vide cooking
Some people cook following the right procedure or a certain recipe that will tell you what you need to use in the seasoning process with the kind of food you are using. However, for an individual who is eager to know what it takes to season food then I will help you know what you need for the process. Below are the things you need which will add more flavors to the food:
- Salt
Salting food is a challenging activity since most of us fail to understand if we are adding before we start cooking or after cooking. Remember the number one function of salt mostly in proteins is removing the water from it that makes it lose moisture easily. Salt helps the food to change its structure and texture that can make the protein more tough depending on the time it takes for the cooking process. Therefore, when adding salt before cooking add less amount to the exact size if you know the cooking process will take much time.
- Butter, oil and fat
Normally, it is advisable to use butter, oil or fat after cooking meat using the Sous vide method at the point you are searing it in a pan. The ingredients are quite cool with the sauce when you are making it. Oil or butter is good to use with fish meat since it is preventing it from drying out.
Oil or butter is not a necessary ingredient to use with foods like other cooking ingredients but you can use a small amount of it to keep the food from sticking to the walls of the bag while still cooking such that you cannot reuse the bag later.
- Dry herbs and spices
When using Sous vide cooking method, using dry herbs and spices can work best with it. The dry herbs and spices include oregano, thyme, cumin, garlic powder, steak seasoning, cayenne powder, mustard powder, adobo, paprika and curry powder. When you are cooking meat ensure you rub the spices on each other’s side to get the flavor in it. In a case that you are searing after Sous vide cooking, consider adding the dry herbs and spices before you sear.
- Fresh herbs
Fresh herbs include cilantro, parsley, basil, rosemary, thyme, chives and mint. The fresh herbs are always so delicate and soft that you need to work with them under lower temperatures and you need to cook them within a short time. Therefore the fresh herbs you can add to food after cooking them
- Onion, garlic, ginger and shallots
When having such ingredients consider using them when they are in powder form as it works better. Having such ingredients and you are using lower temperatures of Sous vide you will not get the same flavor as you compare with cooking on stove or pan since you will get some closer taste but not the exact thing. Therefore, with such seasonings, you need to cook them in a pan differently before adding them to the Sous vide cooking.
- Citrus
Citrus includes lemons; limes and oranges that you need to slice the fruits and add to the Sous vide bags for cooking. In some cases, you can choose to peel off the fruits.
- Sauces
Sauces are also types of seasonings that include teriyaki sauce, hot sauce, curry sauce and barbecue sauce. To use the sauces in Sous vide cooking consider adding them after you finish cooking.
- Marinades
With the marinades, you can add them to food like how you do in other methods of cooking. What you need to do is marinate the meat before cooking, take it out of the marinade when it is ready and remove the Sous vide bag when you are ready to cook it.
Importance of seasoning food in Sous vide cooking
i. Seasonings help in providing flavor to food together with the aroma, texture and color that can attract you to taste and eat the food. Seasonings make the food delicious so that you can know who prepares the meals.
ii. Seasonings give food a good color depending on the spice you are using. The spices to induce color include turmeric and parsley.
iii. It enhances the taste of food
iv. It increases the aroma of food that can attract an individual to eat the food when preparing it.
v. It is good for the health due to some ingredients that provide different nutrients and help in different functions of the body
vi. Some of the seasonings ingredients have antimicrobials which helps in providing good bacteria to food which helps in the functioning of the human body.
Frequently asked questions:
- Which ingredients affect the color of food when seasoning?
Turmeric, parsley, cayenne, annatto, mint and other products.
Conclusion
Now we know that seasoning is a crucial step that differentiates a real chef from an amateur cook when preparing their meals. Seasoning food helps enhance the flavour of the food mostly in Sous vide cooking. You can Sous vide without seasoning but you will not get the flavors you need without the seasons. Or at some point, the taste of the food will be less powerful unlike when you season it.
The article above will guide you on when you need to season your food since it depends on the ingredients you want to use in the kitchen. Follow the right procedure for seasoning so that the food can have a good time with the seasonings and that you get the flavour you want.