using Sous Vide Archives - Life's A Tomato

Sous Vide Shrimp Cocktail

I’m very new to using sous vide. I was intrigued with it from the first time I heard of it because I knew it would (at the very least) help me with certain dishes that I’ve always had trouble getting cooked to perfection. Like cocktail shrimp. Sure, I can boil shrimp or roast them and I do a pretty good job. But sometimes I might over-cook them. That’s where sous vide comes to the rescue. There’s no such thing as me messing up with it.

Cooking Time And Texture

Before tackling sous vide cocktail shrimp, I suggest you read this wonderful link about the best cook times for the shrimp. It’s not just a matter of getting the shrimp done, but what texture you want. In the recipe below I use the time and temperature that worked best for me. You may want your shrimp to have a little more ‘bite’. Or less. That’s why I highly recommend you read the link (here it is again) before jumping in. And once you have the desired time and temperature, make a note of it for the future.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

I really loved the flavor that the bay leaf and lemon gave to the shrimp while they cooked in the vacuum bag. This is the easiest shrimp cocktail recipe you’ll ever make.

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Sous Vide Shrimp Cocktail

Sure, I can boil shrimp or roast them and I do a pretty good job. But sometimes I might over-cook them. That’s where sous vide comes to the rescue.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword shrimp, sous vide

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Cool time 15

Servings

Calories 58kcal

Equipment

Immersion circulator

Ingredients

1 pound shrimp large, deveined, shells left on
2 large bay leaves
3 slices lemon plus more for serving
cocktail sauce chilled, for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat your sous vide water to 140 F.
Place shrimp in a sealable or vacuum bag. Do not let the shrimp overlap each other.
Add the bay leaves and lemon.
Remove all of the air from the bag and close, or vacuum seal tight.
Transfer to the sous vide and cook for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, create an ice bath by placing ice and water into a large bowl.
When the shrimp are done remove from the sous vide and transfer the bag (unopened) to the ice bath. Keep submerged until the shrimp are chilled, 10-15 minutes.
Open bag and remove shrimp. Serve with cocktail sauce and lemon slices.

Notes

Nutritional value does not include cocktail sauce.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

BBQ Sous Vide Country Style Ribs

These BBQ sous vide country style ribs have been on my radar for a while now. I love country style ribs. I usually sear them on the stovetop then finish them in the oven, served over sauerkraut. Yum. This time I went the sous vide route, finishing the ribs on a hot gas grill. A little hickory BBQ sauce gives the impression that the ribs were cooked low and slow on a smoker. Or close enough, at least. The result was tender, very juicy, very flavor ribs.

Tender as you want it to be

You get to decide how tender you want your BBQ sous vide country style ribs to be. The first time I made them I went 4 hours. At that point the ribs have a good chew but aren’t tough. If you like a good tug to your ribs, 4 hours will get you where you want to be. But for more tender ribs you really might want to go 6 if not 8 hours. The full 8 hours is a bit much for me only because I do want a little ‘bite’ to my meat. I’d settle on 6. You can squeeze the ribs in the bag after 4 hours, and every hour or so after that, to see if the ribs are getting to where you want them. Just note your favorite cook time for the next time you make them. Because there will be a next time.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

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BBQ Sous Vide Country Style Ribs

Cook the full 8 hours for fall-apart ribs.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword country-style ribs, sous vide

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 8 15

Servings

Calories 1360kcal

Author Mike

Ingredients

2 pounds country-style pork ribs bone-in or boneless, excess fat trimmed
½ cup Your favorite BBQ seasoning more or less. I prefer a sweet rub for this recipe
½ cup your favorite BBQ sauce more or less. I prefer smoky sauce, such as hickory BBQ

Instructions

Heat your sous vide water to 145 F.
Rub the seasoning all over the ribs. Get it on all sides. No need to be shy with it either. More is better.
Transfer the ribs to a vacuum bag and seal tightly.
Place bag into the sous vide water and cook 4 hours (for quite a bit of tug) to 8 hours (completely fall-apart tender).
Remove the bag from the water. Open and remove the ribs to a plate. Pat dry with a paper towel then brush with the BBQ sauce.
Heat a grill or broiler to high.
Place ribs onto the grill or under the broiler for a few minutes per side until lightly charred and the sauce is lightly caramelized.
Serve with additional BBQ sauce if desired.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

Sous Vide Snow Crab Legs

I am not a crab specialist. Crab connoisseurs would watch me crack crab legs and dig out the meat and probably giggle. Things fly everywhere. But I get the job done. And I absolutely love the final result. I could eat crab all day. That usually means grilling them. Or boiling them. This time, though, I tried sous vide snow crab legs. Let me tell you, this is my go-to way for perfect crab legs from here on. It’s easy, quick, and the result is deliciously fantastic!

Flavor-Packed Crab Greatness

The flavor in these sous vide snow crab legs is fantastic. At least in my case, I added butter (and lots of it) and Old Bay seasoning (and lots of that too!). This is not the time (in my opinion) to be shy with either one. I want messy, crazy-good crab and that’s exactly what I got. I cannot wait to make these again.

Remember, the crab legs are already cooked (steamed, actually). You’re just warming them up and adding flavor. And making sure you’re not losing any flavor like you would if you just boil them.

You can use this same recipe for larger crab legs, too. I’d add some more time to warm them up, so I’d start with 45 minutes and maybe go as long as an hour.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

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5 from 1 vote

Sous Vide Snow Crab Legs

Beyond delicious!

Course Appetizer or Main

Cuisine American

Keyword crab legs, sous vide

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Servings

Calories 254kcal

Equipment

Immersion circulator

Ingredients

1-2 pounds snow crab legs thawed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup Old Bay seasoning more or less, to taste. optional
dipping sauces clarified butter, cocktail sauce, whatever you prefer!
lemon for serving, if desired

Instructions

Heat your water to 140 F using your immersion circulator.
Place the crab legs into a large (1 gallon) resealable bag. You may have to separate the legs at the joints to get them to fit. You want them to all fit in the bottom of the bag.
Add enough water to the bag to just cover the legs.
Lower the bag into the warmed water. Use a clip to clamp the bag to the side of your container, keeping the bag open. You do not need to vacuum seal the bag or remove any air from it, just make sure that the legs are below the water line.
Heat the legs for 30-45 minutes or until heated through.
Remove and drain the bag into a colander.
Let cool slightly before serving.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

Garlic Herb Sous Vide Potatoes

I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve made these garlic herb sous vide potatoes in the last week or two. The weather has been nice and that meant grilling. I was looking for an easy side. Now, I didn’t make these potatoes on the grill, but I did finish them there. You can finish them in a skillet on the stovetop too. Either way, they’re packed with a wonderful garlic and herb flavors.

The perfect side dish

The potatoes are cooked perfectly. They’re velvety creamy inside. Finishing them off over high heat adds a nice crunchy layer. These potatoes make for a great side dish.

As written, the amounts of dried herbs used infuse a good amount of flavor into these garlic herb sous vide potatoes. We like our potatoes to pack flavor. If you’re a little on the ‘less is more’ side when it comes to dried herbs, I’d suggest using slightly less thyme and oregano. You can change your mind and add a bit more when you are browning the potatoes after they’re cooked.

If you prefer to finish the potatoes on a grill, no problem! Just use a cast iron skillet or griddle over direct high heat.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

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Garlic Herb Sous Vide Potatoes

The best, creamy delicious potatoes!

Course Side

Cuisine American

Keyword poatoes, sous vide

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 91kcal

Author Inspired by a recipe from Izzy Cooking

Equipment

Immersion circulator

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds potatoes Yukon golds give you the creamiest texture
1 tablespoon olive oil divided
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

Fill a container with water. Add your immersion circulator and set the temperature to 190 F.
Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes by washing and then cutting into 1" cubes.
Place potatoes into a large bowl. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of the oil.
Sprinkle with the remaining ingredients (minus the remaining oil).
Toss gently to coat well and evenly.
Transfer the potatoes to a vacuum bag. Spread them out in one layer. Use more than one bag if you have to. Seal.
Place bags in pre-heated water for 1 hour.
Remove bag from water. Open the bag and pour the potatoes into a large bowl. Dab lightly with a paper towel to remove and excess moisture.
Heat the last 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the potatoes and let brown on one side, 2-4 minutes. Gently flip the potatoes and brown on the other side.
Remove and serve.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Fullstar Mandoline Slicer for Kitchen, Cheese Grater Vegetable Spiralizer and Veggie Slicer for Cooking & Meal Prep, Kitchen Gadgets Organizer & Safety Glove Included (11 in 1, White)

Pyrex 3 Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set, Includes 1-Cup, 2-Cup, and 4-Cup Tempered Glass Liquid Measuring Cups, Dishwasher, Freezer, Microwave, and Preheated Oven Safe, Essential Kitchen Tools

Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen and Food Scale

Peppered Shrimp using Sous Vide

Perfectly cooked shrimp. Fantastic, flavorful dipping sauce. What else could you ask for? These peppered shrimp, cooked using sous vide, didn’t last long at all around here. Nice and peppery, the shrimp are super tasty. The sauce is buttery and herbaceous. You might have a bit of the sauce left over, so serve the shrimp with some grilled or toasted bread for soppin’.

Sometimes You Have To Get Sneaky

I searched and searched my pantry and could not find allspice berries. Then it struck me! There’s allspice berries in pickling spice! Boom! So I just picked a few out and off I went to make my sous vide peppered shrimp. If you don’t have any allspice berries, don’t fret. The shrimp will still be great. And peppery.

This is easily some of the best tasting shrimp I’ve ever had. The sous vide process cooked each and every one perfectly. And consistently. And the flavor was absolutely amazing. I’ve eaten my share of shrimp. This is Top 5 amongst of all of them.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

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Peppered Shrimp using Sous Vide

If you don't have any allspice berries, don't fret. The shrimp will still be great. And peppery.

Course Appetizer or Main

Cuisine American

Keyword shrimp, sous vide

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Servings

Calories 62kcal

Ingredients

2 pounds large shrimp deveined, shells removed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons garlic minced
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
pinch cayenne
¼ cup unsalted butter cut into pats
2 bay leaves
4 whole allspice berries
green onion sliced, for garnish (optional), or use chopped parsley

Instructions

Set up your immersion circulator for 140 F.
Toss shrimp with the salt in a large bowl.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, pepper, lemon juice, basil, oregano and cayenne. Whisk together and bring to a simmer.
Add the butter, 1 pat at a time, whisking until melted.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly before stirring in the shrimp, bay leaves and allspice.
Transfer to a vacuum-sealable bag and spread out evenly. Seal. NOTE: I put the bag into the fridge for 1 hour so that the liquid set up before sealing. This made it much easier to seal the bag.
Transfer to the immersion circulator and sous vide for 50 mins.
Remove and open bag. Transfer liquid to a bowl for dipping. Serve shrimp garnished with sliced green onion.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

Sous Vide Grilled Chicken Breast

Salad week was coming. Every few weeks we switch to making salads for a while. Our favorite protein for salad is sous vide grilled chicken breast. My worst fear is that the chicken will not impress. That it’ll be chew and as dry as the desert. Well, no tough, dry chicken here. This chicken comes out crazy juicy, super tender and big-time packed with flavor. Perfect for salads, thanks to a slow cooking process using an immersion circulator. It’s also got a lightly smoky flavor with a great light char. That’s thanks to a few minutes on a hot grill.

The Best Chicken For Salads

I used fresh thyme sprigs when I made this sous vide grilled chicken breast. The thyme flavor isn’t over-powering (I used 2 sprigs per breast). If you want a pronounced herb flavor, add more. You can also use any other fresh herb that you like. You can also leave it out and still have wonderfully tasty chicken. Just don’t be shy with the salt and pepper. This is the time to add flavor, before it’s cooked.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

You can use this same recipe for cooking bone-in chicken breasts instead.

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Sous Vide Grilled Chicken Breast

The perfect chicken for sandwiches or salads.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, sous vide

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 534kcal

Author Inspired by a recipe from 40 Aprons

Equipment

Immersion circulator

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless, trimmed of excess fat
2 teaspoons olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme more or less, to taste.
non-stick spray olive oil or vegetable oil-based, or use duck fat spray for even more flavor

Instructions

Fill a container with water. Add your immersion circulator and get the temperature to 146.5 F.
Brush the chicken breasts with the oil.
Season well with salt and pepper. Get the seasoning on all sides and don't be shy with it.
Transfer the chicken to a sealable vacuum bag. Add the sprigs of thyme on top.
Seal the bag using a vacuum sealer.
Transfer the bag to the heater water and cook for 1 hour.
Remove the bag from the water.
Remove the chicken. Discard the thyme and pat the chicken dry with the a paper towel.
Fire up your grill for direct cooking over high heat. We're not looking to cook the chicken (it's already fully cooked). We just want to get some grill marks on it and add some texture.
Lightly spray the chicken with non-stick spray (you could also use more olive oil if desired) and transfer to the grill. Grill for just a minute or two and rotate 90 degrees and cook another minute or two.
Flip and repeat on the other sides to get grill marks.
Remove and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

Country-Style Ribs using Sous Vide

I’m very new to using sous vide as a cooking technique. It’s been a learning, but rewarding experience. My goal was to get the basics down well, then start to re-create my favorite recipes using my new-found knowledge (and learn more, of course!). These country-style ribs are my first attempt at converting a childhood favorite recipe of mine, made often by my mom, from cooking solely in the oven to using a combination of sous vide and the oven.

Fantastic Over Kraut

These country-style ribs have the same great flavor as my mom’s classic. Seared seasoned ribs cooked over a bed of kraut, with a little carrot for crunch. Instead of cooking the ribs in the oven I sous vide them for a long time, until the pork is so completely fall apart you can barely pick it up. I then season it heavily with paprika and sear it beneath the broiler. The end result was absolutely delicious and by far the best I’ve ever had (sorry mom!).

I’m always learning when I cook, be it using sous vide, a grill, or any other tool or technique. If you’re into sous vide too, feel free to drop me a comment in the section below to offer up suggestions on how I might make my country-style ribs even better.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

Also try my grilled sweet-and-sour country style ribs.

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5 from 1 vote

Country-Style Ribs using Sous Vide

These country-style ribs are my first attempt at converting a childhood favorite recipe of mine, made often by my mom, from cooking solely in the oven to using a combination of sous vide and the oven.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword ribs, sous vide

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 8 30

Servings servings

Calories 341kcal

Ingredients

For the sous vide

3 pounds country style ribs cut into 3" lengths, trimmed slightly of fat
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the final dish

8 medium carrots peeled, sliced
32 ounces kraut rinsed, drained
caraway seed to taste
paprika to taste

Instructions

For the sous vide

Bring a sous vide bath to 165 F.
Season the ribs on all sides. Don't be shy with the salt and pepper. Transfer to a vacuum bag (or two) and seal. Submerge and sous vide for 8 hours.
Remove the bags from the water. Open the bags, drain, and pat the ribs dry.

For the final dish

Place carrots in a small microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water. Cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes or until just starting to soften. Carefully remove from the microwave and drain.
Place drained and rinsed kraut in a 9" x 13" deep baking dish (you can use a 9" x 9" but it might be a bit crowded).
Stir in the caraway seed.
Add the carrots.
Turn on your oven's broiler.
Line a baking sheet with foil.
Sprinkle the ribs liberally on all sides with the paprika. Do not be shy with it.
Place in the oven under the broiler and broil, turning every few minutes, until lightly seared.
Remove ribs from oven. Set oven temperature to 350 F.
Transfer ribs to the baking dish, on top of the kraut and carrot mixture.
Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan, cover in foil, and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until the kraut is warmed through and the carrots are completely tender.
Serve hot.

Notes

Instead of placing the ribs under the broiler, you can sear them in a hot skillet with a small amount of oil.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

Turkey Breast Roast using Sous Vide

Butterball sells a 3 pound turkey breast roast that you can find in your grocery’s frozen section. They’re very convenient and tasty. I usually roast mine, which comes out great, but not always as tender and juicy as I’d hoped. Well, sous vide to the rescue and then some! In no time at all, sous vide cooks up the turkey roast just flat out perfectly. Tasty. Juicy. Tender. You cannot beat it, whether you slice it thick to serve with gravy and mashed potatoes ala Thanksgiving or slice it thin for (out of this world!) sandwiches.

A Few Tips

There are a few key (but simple) things to keep in mind when making turkey breast roast using sous vide.

First, you have to remove the gravy packet. It doesn’t go into the sous vide. Now, removing it is easy if the turkey breast roast is defrosted, but if it’s frozen you’ll have to run it under cold water for a few minutes until you can pull it away.

Second, keep the turkey in the mesh bag that it comes in until you are ready to sear it at the end. Remove it carefully once the breast is sous vide or you’ll end up removing a lot of the seasoning.

Last, season the roast liberally. If you think you put too much on you probably nailed it perfectly. There’s a lot of turkey that needs to be seasoned. Don’t be shy with it and you’ll get that flavor in every bite.

If you own a smoker, you can skip the searing step and instead place the roast on a smoker for 30 minutes or so to let that great smoke flavor absorb into the turkey.

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

Also try my sous vide corned beef.

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5 from 1 vote

Turkey Breast Roast using Sous Vide

Tasty. Juicy. Tender. You cannot beat it, whether you slice it thick to serve with gravy and mashed potatoes ala Thanksgiving or slice it thin for (out of this world!) sandwiches.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword sous vide, turkey

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 3

Servings

Calories 172kcal

Ingredients

3 pound Butterball Turkey Breast roast frozen or defrosted
paprika
your favorite poultry seasoning

Instructions

Set up your immersion circulator for 138 F.
Note: Keep the turkey in the mesh packaging until you are ready to sear it.
Remove the gravy packet. Note: If using a frozen breast, run briefly under cold water long enough to loosen and remove the gravy packet.
Sprinkle the breast with paprika and plenty of the seasoning. Don't be shy with it.
Transfer to a bag and vacuum seal.
Transfer bag to sous vide setup and cook for 5 hours if frozen, or 3 hours if defrosted.
Remove bag from water and cut open, draining off any juices. Remove breast (carefully so it stays intact) from mesh bag.
Sear the breast on all sides in a large skillet with a few tablespoons of oil over high heat. Or sear on a hot grill or under a broiler. You'll want to sear for about 1 minute per side.
Slice as desired.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

Corned Beef using Sous Vide

I’m very new to the world of sous vide. But, making corned beef using the technique is something I have been wanting to do for a long time. Usually, I smoke my corned beef to make ‘fauxstrami’, or as it is sometimes called, ‘cheater pastrami’. This time I was going for just classic corned beef flavor and super tender meat. And that’s what I got.

For 48 hours all I could think about was a Reuben sandwich. Sous vide corned beef on pumpernickel with a homemade Thousand Island dressing, kraut and Swiss cheese. Lunch was fantastic!

Beware The Spice Packet

I don’t think that the spice packet added much flavor to the corned beef. So, I would actually consider it borderline optional. I did learn that if you are using it don’t place it directly on the meat. As the vacuum seals the bag, the spices get embedded in the corned beef. And there they will stay until you scrape them off, which isn’t fun. So I pour it into a corner of the bag. It does get mixed in with the liquid from the meat, so perhaps it did add a little flavor. It certainly was not overwhelming.

I think the technique I used for sous vide corned beef can be used as a starting point for making pastrami, so that’s the next thing I will try. After the 48 hour sous vide, I will prepare the corned beef as I do my homemade pastrami, then smoke it just long enough to get a little smoke flavor to it. I will certainly post my results!

I use an Anova sous vide cooker. It’s my immersion circulator workhorse!

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0

Also try my sous vide turkey breast roast.

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5 from 1 vote

Corned beef using Sous Vide

I was going for just classic corned beef flavor and super tender meat. And that’s what I got.

Course Main

Cuisine American

Keyword corned beef, sous vide

Cook Time 2

Total Time 2

Servings pounds

Calories 1347kcal

Ingredients

3 pound corned beef with the spice packet

Instructions

Bring your sous vide setup to 140 F.
Remove the corned beef from the packaging and rinse well several times under cold water.
If you want to use the spice packet, open it and pour it into one corner of a large sealable bag.
Transfer the corned beef to the bag. Seal well. I prefer to double seal for long cooks.
Add the bag to the sous vide and cook for 48 hours.
Remove corned beef from water and let cool slightly before opening and slicing against the grain.

Nutrition

Nutritional values are approximate.

Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano 2.0