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Culinary Arts & Cooking vocabulary · Cooking Methods & Techniques

Sous vide

Meaning in culinary arts & cooking, with examples

/ˌsuː ˈviːd/nounAdvanced term

In culinary arts & cooking, sous vide means: A method of cooking food sealed in a vacuum bag in a water bath held at an exact, usually low, temperature for a long time. From French, meaning "under vacuum".

In Turkish: sous vide, vakumda düşük ısıda pişirme

How it is used

Used for meat, fish, eggs and vegetables to get exact doneness from edge to edge. The food is usually seared or finished on the grill before serving. Kitchens need a vacuum packer and a water bath with an immersion circulator, and strict HACCP controls.

Example sentences

  1. We cook the short ribs sous vide at 62°C for 48 hours.

  2. The sous vide bath must be checked and logged every morning.

Common collocations

  • cook sous vide
  • sous vide bath
  • sous vide machine
  • vacuum-pack
  • core temperatureThe temperature at the centre or thickest part of a piece of food, measured with a probe thermometer to check that it is cooked, cooled or reheated safely.
  • searTo brown the surface of meat or fish quickly in a very hot pan or on a grill, creating a dark, tasty crust.
  • poachTo cook food gently in liquid that is hot but not bubbling, roughly 70–85°C, such as water, stock, wine or milk.
  • HACCPHazard Analysis and Critical Control Points: a food safety system that identifies the points where food could become unsafe and sets checks and limits to control them.

More terms: Cooking Methods & Techniques

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