Hamilton Beach 33970 Use and Care Manual - Page 16

Sous Vide Frequently Asked Questions (cont.) How can I ensure that food cooks thoroughly? • Make sure water reaches the desired temperature before adding sealed food. • Place just one bag of food in each slot of the rack. Make sure bags are submerged in the water and that the food in each bag does not touch each other. It is acceptable if the ends of the bags overlap. • Follow recommended cooking times to ensure that the food reaches the desired temperature. How long can food be left cooking in the sous vide cooker? • Recommended cooking times for sous vide ensure that the food reaches the desired temperature. The benefit of sous vide cooking is that the water bath will hold the food at the desired temperature for a long period of time. This allows more flexibility in serving times. The Hamilton Beach sous vide cooker can be programmed for up to 72 hours. Keep in mind that although the food is held at that temperature, the food will continue to cook and will change texture. • Usually you will see a range of optimal cooking times. This indicates the minimum cooking time required and the maximum time that the food is at the ideal texture. • When cooking eggs or seafood, do not hold in water bath for more than 1 hour after cooking. Should meats be seared before cooking sous vide or after? • Searing food cooked sous vide is optional. Some foods benefit from searing and others do not. Meats, poultry, and fish can be more appealing in appearance and flavor with searing. Searing can be done before or after cooking. Searing after cooking is more common. It ensures that the food reaches the desired temperature. • Searing can be done both before AND after cooking sous vide. Steaks seared before and after cooking have a more evenly browned surface. 16