Soy Sauce Chicken

Sous Vide Details: Cook Chicken at 148ºF for 5 hours

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1 whole chicken (remove organs)
• 3 slices of fresh ginger, julienned
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3 stalks of scallions, cut into 2" pieces
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shao Xing wine
• 1 teaspoon white pepper powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 cups water
• Special tools: Chamber vacuum, heavy meat clever

This is a dish my mother made and everyone loved.  I decided to try to make it using the sous vide method!  A new twist on an old recipe.  Hopefully my mother will be proud.

Pre-heat the water bath to 148ºF.  Mix all ingredients except the chicken in a large bowl making sure the sugar dissolved into the mixture.  You will need a large plastic cooking bag that is large enough to hold the whole chicken and all the liquid.  Also since we are going to cook the chicken in the soy sauce liquid mixture, it works best if you have a chamber vacuum sealer.  If you only have a bar sealer, use a bag with about 12" of extra length after you put the chicken in.  Also, you might have to seal it twice to get a good seal since some of the liquid will probably get caught in the seal area.  Drape the bag over the counter edge when you're sealing (for a bar sealer).  Once the vacuum starts watch the liquid.  When all the air is out and the liquid starts to move up the bag, press the "seal" button.

Place the whole chicken in the bag neck first so the cavity hole is exposed.  Pour the soy sauce mixture into the bag, making sure you fill the cavity.  Carefully place the bag in the chamber vacuum and seal the bag.  Set the vacuum seal pressure to a low setting.  Some of the liquid may come out as the bag is sealed.  Just wipe the bag off around the seal area and re-seal a second time if necessary to get a complete seal.  The chicken should be immersed in the soy sauce mixture within the bag.  Place the bag in the water bath.  Cook for 5 hours.  This ensures the whole chicken gets cooked.

Once the chicken is done, remove from the water bath and let stand in the bag for 10 minutes.  Get out a large cutting board and a heavy meat clever.  This will be used to cut the chicken up into small pieces with the bone in, a traditional method of presenting soy sauce chicken.  Also this dish is normally served at room temperature or even cold.  Take the chicken out of the bag.  Reserve some of the liquid for sauce.  Separate the legs and wings from the body at the joints.  Using your clever, CAREFULLY chop the legs and wings into small pieces, chopping right through the bones.  BE CAREFUL!  Now separate the breasts from the backbone part of the chicken by slicing horizontally from the bottom of the chicken to the neck area.  You can then separate the breasts by cutting down through the breast bone.  Again, carefully use your clever to cut the breasts into small pieces.

For plating, place the dark meat on a large plate and then place the breast meat on top.  Take some of the reserved sauce and strain out the ginger, garlic and scallions.  Pour some over the chicken and pour the rest into a serving boat.  Garnish with scallions and server!

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Pumpkin Pie with Cranberry Glazing

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 8 oz gingersnaps (you can find them in the cookie aisle)
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Filling:
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clover
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Cranberry Glaze:
• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Holidays are made for pies!  and Pumpkin pie rules!  Especially when you make the crust out of gingersnaps and walnuts and top it was a cranberry glazing... yummie!

First we make the crust.  Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.  Break apart the gingersnaps into smaller pieces and add them into a food processor along with the walnuts and grind until the mixture is a consistent crumb size.  Add in the melted butter and pulse grind until the mixture is consistently sticky.  Pour into a 9" pie dish and spread evenly around.

Now we make the filling.  In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, honey, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, heavy cream, eggs and salt.  Pour into pie crust dish and put into the oven.  Bake for roughly 35-40 minutes until the crust darkens slightly and the filling becomes firm near the crust.  If the crust looks like it is browning too much, cover it aluminum foil strips.  Transfer the pie to a baking sheet and let cool.  It is important to let the filling cool until it is firm otherwise, the cranberry glazing will sink when you pour it on top!

Finally, we make the cranberry glaze.  In a medium saucepan, whisk together the orange juice, water, sugar and flour until smooth.  Add the cranberries and cook on medium heat until the cranberries just begin to burst and the liquid thickens, roughly 5 - 8 minutes.  Carefully pour the glazing over the pie and refrigerate until well chilled.

You can serve as is, or sprinkle with your favorite topping like cinnamon or powdered sugar or even nuts!  Enjoy!

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Whole Turkey (Deconstructed)

Sous Vide Details: Cook turkey dark meat at 176F for 8-10 hours, cook turkey white meat at 145F for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours

Ingredients, Serves 4 - 6:

• 15 lb whole turkey (organic or natural works best)
• Your favorite poultry herbs (I love rosemary, thyme and sage)
• 16 oz duck fat
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Brine (needs to be done the day before cooking):
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon peppercorns
• 1 gallon iced water
• 1 clean 5 gallon bucket with two bag liners

I LOVE Thanksgiving!  To me, giving thanks for my family through a wonderfully cooked meal is a perfect way to celebrate.  I've been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for as long as I can remember and have tried many recipes, although they all have involved cooking the turkey whole in the oven and doing all sorts of gyrations during the day to keep the breast moist and not over-done.  This usually meant opening up the oven many times to "baste" and "tent" and "re-read" the always foggy meat thermometer, which actually also prolonged the cooking time!  I thought of this "dance" as my badge of honor as a chef!

Well, this is my first Thanksgiving as a Sous Vide chef so I wanted to "change it up".  One of the important aspects of turkey is that the bird is actually made up of two types of meats: white meat and dark meat.  In the ideal world, the two types of meats should be cooked at different temperatures and for different amounts of time because they are completely different in fat and muscle composition.

With Sous Vide, cooking the white meat and dark meat separately at different temperatures and times is a snap!  The only difference is the "whole turkey" concept has to be "deconstructed" before cooking, not after.  That was fine with me since you do it the day before cooking the turkey, which is a "less stressful day" so you can take your time.

One note from the "Planning Department":  Remember that a frozen turkey takes a "LONG TIME" to thaw in the refrigerator, which is the safest way to thaw the bird!  DO NOT THAW ON THE COUNTER TOP!  You will be creating a perfect breeding ground for bacteria like Salmonella!  So the most important timing aspect of Thanksgiving turkey is buy it early so you have time to thaw it.  For a 15 lbs turkey, mine took 4 full days in the refrigerator (could have actually taking a 5th day) to thaw it out.  Add to that the preparation need the day before Thanksgiving and you really need to be thinking of purchasing your turkey 5-6 days before Thanksgiving!  That would be Nov 18th.  Put it on your calendar!

The day before Thanksgiving is the start of your sous vide turkey experience!  First, you want to prepare the turkey brine.  Brining is a method that uses osmosis to infuse the turkey meat with salt which causes it to retain more moisture during the cooking process.  Start by combining the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, and peppercorns in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Then remove from heat and cool to room temperature and then refrigerate.

When the brine goes into the refrigerator, you can start on "deconstructing" the turkey.  There are several videos on youtube that show you how to separate a chicken into pieces (click here for one example) and that is the same basic process for your turkey.  Here are the steps:

1. Place the turkey on its back (breast up) with one leg nearest to you.  Taking a sharp knife, slice the skin between the leg and the body exposing the thigh.  Stay as close to the leg as possible leaving most of the breast covered with skin.  Keep cutting the skin and eventually the meat while prying the leg and thigh away from the body.  Holding the thigh firmly, pry it down until you hear the "joint" pop. You should see the joint.  Work your knife to separate the thigh from the body at the joint.  Do the same for the other leg and thigh.  
2. Now we want to separate the legs from the thighs, If you place the thigh on the cutting board, skin side down, you will see a fat line across the leg/thigh joint area.  This is your "cut line".  Slice the fat line with your sharp knife and it should split the leg from the thigh right at the joint!  Taking a sharp knife, slice the meat away from both sides of the main thigh bone until you can get your knife "under" the bone.  Insert the knife end from one side of the bone to the other and slice the meat away from the bone, removing the bone from the thigh.  Do the same with the other thigh.  Place the legs and thighs in a large pan.
3. Next are the wings.  grab the wing near the body and pull it away from the body exposing the skin.  Slice through the skin near the body.  Again, hold the wing firmly near the body and pry it down, popping the joint.  Use your knife and carefully cut around the joint until you separate the wing from the body.  Do the same with the other wing.  Place them both in the pan with the legs and thighs.
4. Now, we separate the body.  On both sides of the body where the legs connected to the body, there are "sideways Vs" which you use as a guide to cut from the bottom of the "V" towards the neck of the turkey.  You are "splitting" the body in half, separating the back of the turkey from the breasts.  When you have cut both sides to the backbone, you should be able to take grab the breasts in one hand and the backbone in the other and pry them "open", like you're "splitting a wishbone"!  This exposes the joints near the neck.  Take your knife and working carefully, separate the joints and meat and cut through both sides of the backbone.  The back should separate from the breasts at this point!  Place the back in the same pan with the legs and wings.
5. Now we separate the breasts.  Place the breasts, skin side down, on your cutting board.  Using a meat clever make a small chop cut right in the middle of the collar bone between each breast.  This should allow you to pry both breast downward, cracking the breastbone right in the middle.  There is a heavy breast bone that you want to remove before actually splitting  the two breasts.  Using your knife, slice the membrane on each side of the breastbone, exposing it and then using your fingers, pry the breastbone out.  It will look like a "mini dagger"!  This is somewhat tough, but stick with it, you can do it!  Now you can take your clever or sharp knife and split the breasts in half, separating them.  Place them into a separate pan.  You did it!!!!

Now, line your 5 gallon bucket with two plastic bags and take your brine solution out of the refrigerator and pour it into the bucket along with a gallon of cold water.  Place all the turkey parts into the brining solution along with some ice.  The solution needs to be below 40F.  Place the bucket somewhere cool/cold (I placed mine outside).  You need to brine the turkey for roughly 7-10 hours.  When done, take the turkey meat out and thoroughly wash the meat under cold water.  Pat dry.

Now you're ready for seasoning and bagging the turkey.  Liberally salt and pepper all the meat to taste.  Place the dark meat in separate bags from the breast meat.  Depending on your bag size, you can either place all the separate pieces of meat into separate bags or place multiple pieces in single bag.  I have large bags so I places both legs into a single bag, both thighs in a single bag and both wings into a single bag.  Everything else went into separate bags.  Add your favorite herbs into each bag.  I used rosemary, thyme and sage.  Be careful not to over do the herbs, remember, with sous vide, the herbs concentrate in the bag.  I used only a few twigs of each herb in each bag.  Then place equal amount of the duck fat in each bag.  Duck fat gives the turkey a nice "depth" in taste. Vacuum seal each bag.  Make sure the sealing area of the bag is "clean and dry".  Use a paper towel if you have to.  This will allow the bag to seal properly.  When done, your turkey should look like this:

Turkey dark meat all bagged up and ready to go!

Turkey breasts all bagged up and ready to go!

Now here's where your first major decision point comes in.  Are you a morning person or not???  Do you have two water baths?  Since the dark meat takes 8-10 hours to cook, you have to decide whether you're going to cooking it starting Thanksgiving morning (really early) or start it the day before Thanksgiving at night and then re-therm it right before searing and serving.  Well... what are you???  I'm a morning person!  So I decided to get up at 5AM (which I normally do) and start the dark meet on Thanksgiving day so I didn't have to re-therm it.  If you're not a morning person or if you only have a single water bath, you need to start cooking the dark meat the day before Thanksgiving.  I would figure out when you're going to wake up on Thanksgiving day and subtract 10 hours and that is your start time for the dark meat!  So if you get up at 8AM, then start the dark meat at 10PM the night before.  Pre-heat the water bath to 176F and drop all the dark meat into the water bath.  Make sure you have a large enough water bath so that the meat will cook evenly.  Also since you are cooking at a high temperature, you might need to place a plate on top of the bags so that they don't float out of the water since some air (through steam) might accumulate inside the bags.  If you started the night before, you will need to pull the dark meat out on the morning of Thanksgiving and quick chill them in an ice bath for 45 minutes and then place the bags in the refrigerator.  You will re-therm them later.  Here is my dark meat cooking away:

About 4 hours before dinner time, you can start the white meat.  Pre-heat the water bath to 145F and drop the white meat in.  Here's my turkey breasts cooking away:

If you need to re-therm the dark meat, about an hour before the white meet is done, heat up a large pot of water to 145F, using a thermometer to track the temperature.  Drop the dark meat in the pot for 45 minutes to re-therm it to temperature.

When the white meat is done, remove all the bags, one by one, and open and using paper towels, pat the meat dry.  Pre-heat your broiler.  Place all the turkey meat that has skin on a broiling pan, skin side up.  Sear the turkey for approximately 3-5 minutes.  Be careful since you don't want to over cook the meat, since it is already cooked!  Don't sear any meat that doesn't have skin since all you're going to do is over cook the turkey meat!

When searing done, slice the breast, plate the turkey and enjoy!!!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving was a wonderful feast again this year, only better!  The white meat was so tender and moist, it was almost unbelievable!  I actually think I liked the white meat better than the dark meat and I'm a dark meat lover!  Once again, Sous Vide brought a truly transformative culinary experience to our home!  Can you say "Turkey for Christmas??"

Check my other blog entries for the other dishes in this picture!

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Mushroom Stuffing

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 10 cups day old bread, cubed
• 3 cups low fat milk
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 1 turkey liver, minced
• 1 teaspoon truffle oil
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 shallots, minced
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 3 stalks of celery, sliced cross-wise
• 2 lbs your favorite mushrooms (chantrelle, shitake, oyster), stems removed and coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon thyme, finely chopped
• Pepper to taste 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

This stuffing is earthy and has an incredible depth to it.  Pre-heat the oven to 350F.  Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with extra virgin olive oil (use an oil spray if you have one).

Toss the bread cubes with the milk in a large bowl and set aside.  Occasionally toss to saturate evenly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the EVO in a large skillet and add the turkey liver and cook until browned, roughly 2 minutes.  Transfer into a large bowl.

Add the remaining EVO and butter into the large, deep pan and heat over medium heat.  Add the garlic and shallots and cook until shallots are softened, about 2 minutes.  Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they are softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms  and truffle oil and cook, stirring often, until the liquid has leeched out of the mushrooms and mostly evaporated, about 8-12 minutes.  Add the mixture to the bowl with the liver.

Add the soaked bread to the mushroom mixture, discard any unused milk.  Add the celery, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper and mix everything together.  Add the eggs and mix again.  Transfer to the baking dish and distribute evenly.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until the top of the stuffing is golden brown.  Pull out and let set for 5 minutes before serving it up!

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Rosemary Potato Rolls

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped into thumb size pieces
• 1 lb bread flour (or all purpose unbleached flour)
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground sage leaves

The smell of rosemary during the holidays is hypnotic!  Combine that with the fresh smell of baking bread and you have me at "Hello"!  These rolls make a great side dish for dinner and a great sandwich bun for the next day.  My son brought this recipe with him from school.  He's a budding bakery chef and a very good one at that!

First, boil the potato in water for 15 minutes until soft, then mash them up.

Combine the flour, potato, yeast, salt, pepper and rosemary in a large bowl.  Add the water and knead for 5 minutes,.  Add more water or flour until the dough is pliable but slightly sticky.  Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with saran wrap, and let the dough rise until is has doubled in volume, roughly 1 1/2 hours.

Flour your hands, remove the dough and knead it some more.  Break apart into palm sized dough balls and place them spaced out on parchment paper on a cooking sheet. Place more saran wrap over the dough and baking sheet and let rise again for 1 hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 375F.  Using a water spritzer/spay bottle, spray to top of the buns with some water.  Place them in the oven and cook for 20-30 minutes.  Watch carefully towards the end of the time as you don't want them to burn.  They are done when the tops are golden brown.

Pull them out and let them cool slightly, plate them up and serve them with a smile.  They'll be all gone shortly!  If you want to eat them later, you can microwave them for 15-20 seconds and they will soften right up.

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Brussels Sprouts with Frizzled Leeks

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 2 1/2 lbs brussels sprouts cut into quarters
• 3/4 cup extra virgin oil (EVO)
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup shallots, minced
• 2 oz anchovies, drained and minced
• Frizzled Leeks:
• 1 leek
• 1/3  cup wondra flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil

Brussels sprouts have a bad rap in some circles.  I used to be in those circles until I tried a couple recipes that used them.  Wow, they have a wonderfully deep taste to them which goes well in the winter and especially for holiday meals.  Here is a great dish for the holidays.

Pre-heat the oven to 425F.  In a large pan or wok (I used my trusty wok), heat 1/4 cup of the EVO on medium high heat.  Add the brussels sprouts and mix thoroughly with the EVO.  Cook over medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes until they are softened, stirring and rotating the sprouts so they don't burn.  Turn off the heat and set aside.

Spread the walnuts onto a baking sheet and put them in the oven. Toast for about 8 minutes until golden brown.  Let cool and then coarsely chop.

In a medium size bowl, whisk the vinegar, mustard and honey together.  Whisk in a 1/2 cup EVO until it is emulsified.  Add the capers, garlic, and anchovies and mix well.  Salt and pepper to taste and set aside.

Cut the bottom and green top off of the leek.  Split the leek in half length-wise and flatten out each side.  Using a sharp knife, slice the leek into matchstick thin slices.  In a square baking dish, mix the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the leek matchsticks in the flour.

In a large pan with high sides, pour in enough vegetable oil to a depth of 3/4".  Heat the oil until it reaches 325F.  Drop a handful of leek matchsticks into the oil and let them cook until slightly brown.  Remove them quickly and place them on a paper towel.  You can bend them and create a nice mount as you go.  Do this until all the leeks are done.

When ready to serve, re-heat the brussels sprouts, if necessary.  Add the brussels sprouts, sauce and walnuts to a large bowl mix well.  Pour into a serving dish and mound the frizzled leeks on top.  Serve it up!

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Whole Trout Asian Style on Bed of Broccolini and Mushrooms

Sous Vide Details: Cook whole trout at 132F for 1 hours

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 1 whole fresh trout (2 lbs)
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions 
• 1 cup thinly sliced ginger
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce (I use light soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• For the broccolini and mushroom bed:
• 2 bunches broccolini
• 2 cups shimeji mushrooms
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
• 2 tablespoons your favorite vinegar (I used champagne vinegar)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

There's something about cooking a whole fish that is very satisfying as a chef.  Of course, maybe it's my Asian heritage that sparks that satisfaction since Asians typically cook fish whole.  It is a spiritual representation of live, the head being the beginning of life, the body the middle of life and the tail the end of life.  I used to cook whole fish using my handy fish steamer pot, a long and thin high walled pot with a perforated platform inside.  Nothing wrong with that method of cooking as it produced very tender and moist fish every time.  However, now that I'm a sous vide home chef, I decided to try whole sous vide trout!  First off to the market (Ranch 99) to get a nice fresh whole trout.  I found a nice 2 pounder that would fit inside a bag and inside my vacuum chamber, two key requirements.

Have the trout de-gutted and de-scaled.  In a bowl, mix the thinly sliced (Julienned) ginger, shredded carrots, julienned scallions and chopped cilantro and minced garlic.  Fill the trout cavity with the mixture.  Lightly salt and pepper both sides of the skin and place in a bag.  Add 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and the sesame seed oil and seal.  Pre-heat the water bath to 132F and drop the trout in and cook for 1 hour.

To prepare the broccolini and mushroom bedding, bring water to a brisk boil in a large pot.  Blanch the broccolini for 2-3 minutes and then place them in an ice water bath to quickly cool them.  This helps retain their color.  Set aside for now.

When the fish has roughly 10 minutes to go, heat a large pan over medium heat and add the EVO and minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes.  Add the chicken broth, soy sauce and vinegar and stir until hot.  Add the broccolini and cook for 3 - 5 minutes allowing the liquid to reduce.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Take what's left of the ginger-carrot-scallion-cilantro mixture and add the EVO and the other 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and mix well.  Place in microwave and heat for 30 - 45 seconds until hot.

When the trout is ready, heat an iron skillet on medium high heat with the EVO.  Take the trout out of the water bath and bag and place in the skillet and sear both sides of the trout, roughly 30 seconds per side.  Use a wide spatula to turn the fish and be careful as it is fully cooked and can potentially separate.

For plating, arrange the broccolini/mushroom mix on a large plate as a bed for the trout.  Add the trout on top in the center of the bedding.  Take the heated ginger-carrot-scallion-cilantro mixture and spread it on top of the trout.  Serve it up!

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Fennel Crusted Ahi Tuna Steak

Sous Vide Details: Cook Ahi Tuna at 110F for 15 minutes

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 2 Ahi Tuna steaks (fresh!)
• 1/3 cup fennel seeds (ground if you don't have a spice grinder)
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds (ground if you don't have a spice grinder)
• 1 tablespoon white peppercorns (again, ground if you don't have a spice grinder)
• 2 tablespoons grade seed oil
• Click here for the diced vegetable salad

I love sashimi tuna so I decided to make an Ahi tuna dinner the other night for variety.  It was also the first time doing Ahi Tuna sous vide.  I checked a couple sous vide websites and got various temperature suggestions, but the important information I gleaned was "not to over cook the tuna".  Taking that to heart, I decided to use a low temperature and time (even for sous vide standards!).  Also, it's important to use fresh Ahi tuna!

Start with creating the fennel crust. If you have a spice grinder, you can get the seed version of the spices.  If not, just get the ground versions.  Mix the fennel, coriander and white peppercorns together and spread in a pan.  Coat the Ahi Tuna steaks liberally on all sides and place in bag and seal.  Pre-heat water bath to 110F and drop in the tuna.  Cook for only 15 minutes.

When the tuna is done, heat the grade seed oil in a iron skillet on medium high heat.  Remove the Tuna from the water bath and bag and pat dry with a paper towel.  Place in skillet and sear for only 30 sec per side until you have a golden brown crust.  Remove from the skillet and carefully slice with a sharp knife into thick slices.

To plate, I made a diced vegetable salad with a vinaigrette dressing and placed the ahi tuna slices on top.  Serve it up!

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Pork Tenderloin with Risotto

Sous Vide Details: Cook Pork Tenderloin at 135F for 3 hours

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 2 lbs of pork tenderloin
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• Risotto:
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 medium diced shallot
• 2 cups chopped mushrooms of your choice (I like Shitake)
• 1 tablespoon Cognac
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Special tool: optional 3" food ring

I have to admit I haven't eaten a lot of pork, mainly because I thought "pork = fat"!  Well, I have to admit I was wrong.  Of course, there are parts of a pig where that equation is essentially true, but pork tenderloin is very lean.  I picked up some the other weekend and decided to cook it sous vide with risotto and a haricot vert green bean and Chinese five spice tofu side dish (Click here for that recipe).  The result was AMAZING.  The pork was so tender and buttery I could cut it with a fork!  

For the pork, salt and pepper to taste and place into a bag.  Add the rosemary and seal.  Pre-heat the water bath to 135F and place the pork into the water bath and cook for 3 hours.

For the risotto, wait until there is 1 hour left on the pork before starting.  Heat up the chicken broth in a large pot until it's almost boiling and then set to simmer.  Heat up the EVO in the large pot under medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook until shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add the rice and stir to coat the rice.  Cook for 1-2 minutes until rice is translucent. Reduce the heat to medium low.  Slowly add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the rice, stirring while pouring in the broth.  Cook at a simmer until most of the broth is absorbed.  Slowly add another cup of the broth (again stirring the whole time).  Again, cook on simmer until broth is almost gone.  Add another cup and repeat.  Once that cup is almost gone, add the mushrooms and cognac and the last cup of broth.  Simmer again until almost gone.  Make sure you keep the rice from burning at the bottom of the pan.  Finally, add the parmasan cheese and cream and stir to incorporate.

When the pork is done, heat the grape seed oil in an iron skillet on medium high heat.  Remove the pork from the water bath and bag and pat dry.  Sear the pork on all sides.  Should only take 30 sec to 1 minute per side.  Remove the pork to a cutting board and slice into thick slices.

For plating, I used a food ring to plate the risotto into a perfect circle.  Place three pieces of pork on top of the risotto.  Add your favorite side dish and serve with love!

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Lobster with Seaweed

Sous Vide Details: Cook Lobster at 143F for 45 minutes

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 2 lb fresh main lobster
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 oz seaweed salad (can be purchased at an asian market)
• Lobster sauce:
• 1/2 cup diced shallots
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter

On those rare occasions when I indulge my craving for lobster (actually I crave lobster a lot!  Just don't cook it that often), I have found that sous vide lobster is the absolute BEST way to cook it consistently where it comes out tender and juicy every time.  Also, when you de-shell the beast before serving, it makes for a much more pleasant eating experience for my wife, so that's a big plus too!

So start out by bringing a large pot of water and the white vinegar to a brisk boil.  Add the lobster and cook for only 2 minutes.  All you are doing is making it easier to de-shell the lobster.  Take the lobster out and place it in an ice water bath to quickly cool it.

Now the hard part, de-shell the critter and extract all the lobster meat.  Remember, don't throw out the shell pieces!  Put all the shell pieces in a large pot to make the lobster sauce.  I de-shell using the following method:

1. Break off the tail at the base of the lobster body with a sideways twisting motion.  Remove all the entrails out of the tail if there are any.
2. Using kitchen shears, snip straight down the middle of the bottom of the tail from the base to the end, cutting through only the exoskeleton.  Pry open the tail and remove the tail meat through the slit you just cut.
3. Snap off each claw at the base joint connected to the body, then snap off the main claws from the arm pieces.  Using either the back of a heavy knife or some lobster crackers, crack the base of each claw all the way to the joint of the pinchers.  Break open the claw enough to be able to get the claw meat out.  Carefully pry the smaller pincher free from the joint and slowly remove the claw meat with the smaller claw intact.  Then carefully remove the smaller pincher shell and internal membrane leaving the claw meat intact.
4. Crack each arm in several places and then use the kitchen shears to cut the shell from one end to the other.  Break open the arms to expose the meat and remove.
5. Now here's the fun part.  Break off each of the crawler legs (yes, you can get meat out of those little arms easily!).  Using a rolling pin, start at the claw end of each leg and apply pressure and roll up towards the body joint end.  The meat should extrude out of the top!  Voila, more lobster meat!  Do this for each leg.
6. Put all the shell pieces (including the head) into a large pot to make the sauce.

Salt and pepper the lobster meat to taste and place into a bag along with the butter and seal.  Pre-heat the water bath to 143F and place the bag in. Cook for 45 minutes.

To make the sauce, add 1/2 cup of water or food stock to the pan with all the lobster parts.  Heat on medium high heat until it starts to steam, approximately 3-5 minutes.  Stir to get all the flavor out of the shells.  Take the pan and strain all the pieces from the liquid.  Clean the pan and return the liquid to the pan.  Heat on medium heat and add the shallots and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the white wine and cook on medium low heat until reduced in half.  Strain the sauce into another pan and add the tomato paste and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add the heavy cream and bring the sauce just to a slow boil.  Once reached, reduce to a simmer.  Add the cold butter one tablespoon at a time, whisking each tablespoon into the sauce.  In the end, the sauce should be rich and thick.  This is called mounting the sauce.

When the lobster is done, take it out of the water bath and bag.  You can plate the lobster on top of the sauce or you can drizzle the sauce on top of the lobster.  Add the seaweed and  you have a fantastic meal ready to go!

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Haricot Vert Green Beans and Chinese Five Spice Tofu

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1 lb french green beans (haricot vert)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
• 1/2 lb Chinese five spice tofu cut into strips(can be purchased at your local asian market)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVO)

I love french green beans (haricot vert)!  They are more delicate than normal green beans and when fresh, they "crunch" in your mouth after blanching!  And Chinese five spice tofu is also delicious.  Together they make a super healthy and easy to make side for any meal!

If your beans are not already trimmed, trim both ends.  Boil a large pot of water and blanch the green beans for 3 minutes.  Strain and place in ice water bath to cool them quickly.

In another large pan, heat the EVO on medium high heat until hot.  Add the tofu and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the green beans and sesame seed oil and stir for 2 more minutes until everything is hot.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Plate and serve! Yummie!

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Octopus in Butternut Squash Soup with Artichoke Hearts and Pearl Onions

Sous Vide Details: Cook Octopus at 185F for 5 hours

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 1/2 lb octopus legs (sushi grade if possible)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup pearl onions
• 3 artichoke hearts cut in half
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• Butternut squash soup:
• 1 butternut squash, skin removed and cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Special tool: hand blender

I've always loved seafood and especially the Molluscs family, including oysters, clams, snails, squid and octopus!  Usually you can see me at a Japanese restaurant with some or all of these in sushi form at my table.  I especially like sushi octopus!  But I decided to try sous vide octopus after seeing a recipe from Jen at TinyUrbanKitchen.com, a great foodie blog!  I decided to use artichoke hearts, which my wife loves instead of hearts of palm and since I didn't have cippolini onions handy at the time, I opted for pearl onions.

In order to eliminate the "rubbery" texture of sushi octopus, you need to cook the octopus for at least 5 hours at 185F.  Lightly salt and peppered the octopus and put it into a bag.  Add the sesame seed oil and soy sauce and vacuum seal the bag.  Pre-heat the water bath to 185F and drop the octopus in and cook for 5 hours.

Heat a pot of water until boiling and add the pearl onions.  Cook for 1 minute and remove and strain.  Place the onions in an ice bath to cool them.  Cut off the root top and peel the out skin off so you are left with the inner onion cores.  Set aside.

An hour before the octopus is done, start the butternut squash soup.  Heat the EVO in a large pot on medium high heat.  Add onions and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes.  Add the squash and chicken broth and cook for 20-30 minutes until the squash is soft.  Using the hand blender, puree into a soup. Add the maple syrup and salt and pepper to taste.  Keep warm.

When the octopus is done, heat the grape seed oil in a cast iron skillet on medium high heat until hot.  Remove the octopus from the water bath and bag and remove the red skin which should come right off.  Sear the octopus, artichoke halves and pearl onions in the skillet until each has a nice sear to them.

For plating, add the squash soup to a wide and shallow soup bowl.  Place the octopus in the center and place the pearl  onions in the center of the octopus.  Add three artichoke halves around the perimeter.  You can add some herb greens on top if you like (chives or cilantro or parsley).  Serve it up!

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Wahoo (Ono) Steaks with Lemon Pepper Sauce

Sous Vide Details: Cook Wahoo (Ono)  at 132F for 45 min- 2 hours

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 2 Wahoo (Ono) fish steaks
• 1 tablespoon tarragon
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seed oil
• 1 tablespoon sliced scallions
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• Lemon Pepper Sauce:
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon dill
• 1 tablespoon lemon pepper or white pepper
• Salt to taste
• Click here for Diced Vegetable Salad recipe

Was at Trader Joe's the other day and ran across Wahoo steaks.  Wahoo is a speedy white fish that has a firm texture, much like tuna.  In Hawaii, they call the fish Ono.  I typically don't buy flash frozen fish since I have a great fish monger in the Ranch 99 grocer in my neighborhood which provides a plethora of fresh whole and filleted fish every day.  But they don't have Wahoo and it looked really good so I bought some to sous vide.


I first put them in the refrigerator to thaw out.  Actually with sous vide, I didn't really have to do this step!  You can actually take frozen food and sous vide directly!  Just add 30 minutes to the cook time.  Sous vide's low temperature water bath de-thaws the food delicately and then cooks it right up.  I decided to thaw them since I wasn't going to eat them until the next day and I like "feeling" the freshness of the fish before cooking it.


So season the fish on both sides with the tarragon, salt and pepper, then drop them into a bag.  Add the soy sauce and sesame seed oil and seal.  Sealing a bag that has liquid in it can be a challenge.  A chamber vacuum sealer works best here since the liquid will have a tendency to be sucked out of a bar sealer.  You can optionally put the bag in the freezer for 30 minutes and the liquid will solidify enough to bar seal it.  Once sealed, pre-heat your water bath to 132F (this is for medium doneness) and drop it in and cook for at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours.

You can make the diced vegetable salad from the link to the recipe above.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pan on medium heat.  Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, dill and pepper and stir to mix.  Salt to taste.

Once the Wahoo is done, heat a cast iron skillet with the grape seed oil on high heat until hot.  Remove the Wahoo from the water bath and bag and pat dry with a paper towel.  Place in the skillet and sear for 30 sec to 1 minute until you have a nice brown sear on one side.

To plate, mound some of the diced vegetable salad to the side of the plate.  Dribble some sauce on the other side of the plate in a nice design.  Lay the Wahoo (sear side up) on the sauce.  Add some scallions to the top of the Wahoo, serve and enjoy!

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Diced Vegetable Salad

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 cup diced yellow pepper
• 1 cup diced red pepper
• 1 cup diced English cucumber
• 1/2 cup diced red onions
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced basil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt

I love fresh vegetables and so does my wife.  So I decided to do a diced veggie salad the other night.  It's super simple and you can really use whatever veggies you have to make it.  Feel free to substitute!  Also you can dice small or large, your choice!  I did a smaller dice cut.

Mix the veggies and basil together in a bowl and salt to taste.  Then mix the vinegar, EVO, mustard, pepper together and pour over the veggies.  Toss and serve!  Pretty simple, but fantastic result!

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Shirataki Noodles with Vegetables

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 2 - 7oz bags of Shirataki noodles (can be tofu or regular)
• 3 stalks of baby bok choi, sliced in quarters vertically
• 2 cups sliced napa cabbage
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shimeji mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli tops (optional)
• 1/3 cup sliced scallions
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1 - 7oz can of chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
• Optional 1 tablespoon Husein sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

My wife has been on some kind of new fangled diet lately (don't know why, she doesn't need too!) and she raves about Shirataki noodles.  After some research on the web, I too have become a fan of these noodles.  They are made from the yam root and literally have 0 cabs, 0 calories and 0 fat!  So while they have virtually no nutritional value, they can "fill you up" without the calories!  You don't have to feel guilty about consuming large quantities of Shirataki!

There are some down sides to the noodles though.  First, they have no taste by themselves.  The good news is that they will take on the taste of whatever you cook them in.  In addition, they are stored in a liquid that has a strong fishy odor.  Don't fret, you just have to wash them very very thoroughly!  I recommend the following method to remove the fishy odor:

• Take them out of the package and put them in a strainer.  Toss and rinse for at least 1 minute under cold water.
• Then transfer them to a bowl of cold water and let sit for at least 5 minutes.
• Transfer them back to the strainer and rinse again for 30 seconds.  Press excess water out at the end.

While the noodles are soaking, you can start the broth.  Heat the chicken broth and soy sauce on medium high in a pot until it starts to boil.  Add the broccoli heads first and cook for 1 minute.  Then add the napa cabbage and carrots and stir until it the cabbage softens and wilts, about 2 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and baby bok choi and again stir until the bok choi is wilted, about 1 minute.  Add the sesame seed oil, bean sprouts and scallions (and optional Husein sauce) last and stir for 30 seconds.  Add the Shirataki noodles and salt and pepper to taste.  You're ready to serve a delicious healthy meal!

You can also mix and match this recipe with meats (chicken, beef, pork), other veggies (oniom, baby corn, bamboo, leeks, fennel) and even eggs (pre-boiled).  There's an endless combination with Shirataki!

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Food Warmer for the Home

The other day, my lovely wife commented before one of our sous vide meals "Sometimes the food is not as warm as I'm used to."  That was her nice way of saying "The food is cold by the time you do all your plating technique stuff!"  Typically, I make two plates and use mine to photograph while hers is sitting on the counter getting cold.  OK, note to self, "Need to fix cold food problem."

So I thought, well, I could nuke it....  No, that defeats the whole purpose of sous vide and the tender texture transformation thing!  Then I thought... I could crank the oven up to 200F and put her plate in there.  While that could do the trick, I would have to wait for the oven to heat up and it seems like adding even more timing elements to the cooking process.  So then I took to the web to research food warmers and low and behold, there are a number of them out there that do just that... keep your food warm, just like the restaurants use.  The trick was finding one that could be easily used at home since most of them were either very large or meant to be permanently installed in a restaurant.  I didn't want a permanent warmer taking up counter space all the time.

I finally found exactly what I was looking for in the Nemco portable infrared food warmer.  The model number is Nemco 6152-24.  Click here to see it at Webstaurant.com.  This food warmer is 24" long and portable so it makes a perfect station on the counter top, but can be removed and stored when not in use.  I paid $169.00 for it.  When it arrived, I plugged it in and a little bit of white smoke came out!  But it dissipated quickly and the area under the heating element became nice and warm.

I tried it out the other night, putting my wife's dish under the warmer as I plated my dish and photographed it.  She said "Lovely!" so I guess it works!  So if you have gotten some comments like "I love the presentation but the food was a little cold", check out the infrared food warmers at WEBstuarant.com!

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Fillet of Trout on Bed of Kale with Shirataki Noodles, Artichoke and Mushroom Vinaigrette Sauce

Sous Vide Details: Cook trout at 135F for 30 minutes

Ingredients, Serves 2:

• 1 whole trout (1-2 lbs)
• 1 teaspoon chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Kale:
• 1 large bag of chopped Kale 
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• Shirataki Noodles:
• 1 - 7 oz package of Shirataki noodles (can be tofu, also can be thin or thick)
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup Japanese noodle base (can use Pad Tai noodle base too)
• Mushroom Vinaigrette Sauce:
• 2 cups chopped Shimeji mushrooms (or your favorite variety)
• 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
• 2 large artichokes plus your favorite dipping sauce

Trout is a wonderfully light and healthy fish.  To butterfly fillet a trout takes some knife skills, but the end result is a beautiful presentation.  Butterfly fillet your trout. You can also fillet each side separately if you want.  Click here to see a youtube video on how to butterfly fillet a trout.

Since the Artichoke takes the longest, start with preparing it.  Heat a large pot of slightly salted water (2" in depth) until rapid boil.  Cut the tips of the Artichoke leaves off as well as 3/4 of the base stalk.  Drop the Artichokes in the boiling water and cook for 40 minutes.

Season the fillets with salt, pepper, dill and lemon juice and place in bag(s) and seal.  Pre-heat water bath to 135F and drop the fillets in.  Cook for 30 minutes.

While the trout is cooking, you can prepare the mushroom vinaigrette.  Heat the chicken stock on medium heat in a sauce pan.  Add the champagne vinegar and cook on simmer till reduced slightly, approximately 10 minutes.  Add the tarragon and whisk in the butter and flour.  Add the mushrooms and simmer for another 10 minutes until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Shirataki noodles are considered a "miracle" noodle because they essentially have zero carbs, zero calories and zero fat!  Other than that, they're the same as other Asian noodles!  Some people think they have a fishy smell, but that's just the water that they are packaged in.  If rinsed well, they take the flavor of whatever broth they are cooked in, making them very flexible.  To prepare the Shirataki noodles, first, thoroughly rinse them in cold water for at least 2 minutes to remove the fishy smell.  Press the water out.  Heat the chicken broth on medium heat and add the noodle base.  You can use any noodle base or flavor sauce you want at this point, for example oyster sauce would work too.  Add the noodles and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the cilantro.

To prepare the Kale, heat the chicken broth in a large wok or deep pan on high heat until boiling.  Add the chopped Kale and cover for 2 minutes.  Using tongs, rotate the Kale occasionally.  Add the sesame seed oil and mix.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add sesame seeds last.

To plate, once the trout fillets are done, heat a case iron skillet on high and add butter.  When butter is melted, gently remove the trout from the sealed bag and place skin side down in the skillet.  Sear the trout skin for 1 minute only.  Plate the Kale into a nice bed for the trout.  Place a clump of Shirataki noodles on the plate along with the Artichoke.  Please the trout fillet on top of the Kale bed.  Spoon some of the mushroom vinaigrette sauce on top of the fillets, add your favorite Artichoke dipping sauce (I like melted butter but my wife loves mayonnaise) and serve with a loving smile!

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Chinese Chicken Salad

Sous Vide Details: Cook Chicken at 142F for 1 1/2 - 2 hours

Ingredients, Serves 4:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 head napa cabbage sliced cross-wise into thin slivers
• 2 romaine lettuce hearts sliced cross-wise into thin slivers
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shredded almonds
• 1 1/2 cups sliced scallions (green onions)
• 1 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms (optional)
• Chinese Rick sticks
• Vegetable oil for cooking rice sticks (~4-8 cups)
• Dressing:
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup EVO
• 1/2 cup water
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

One of San Francisco (and probably California in general) signature dishes is Chinese Chicken Salad (CCS)!  In my humble opinion, it is also one of the most widely "interpreted" salad I've ever seen.  You can go pretty much all over the US and if you ask for a Caesar salad, you know what to expect.  Same with a Cob salad or a Spinach salad.  But order a Chinese (or Asian) chicken salad, and sit back in anticipation because you really don't know what is coming out!  In general, what does come out is very good, but I've seen (and tasted) pretty bad CCS!  The variety is its strength and weakness.  Here, I give you my interpretation of the famous CCS, sous vide style!

Salt and pepper the chicken breast to taste and place in food bag along with the thyme sprigs.  Heat the water bath to 142F.  Seal the chicken and place in the water bath and cook for 1-2 hours.  When the chicken is done, take out of water bath and bag, pat dry and either shred by hand into small pieces or cut into small pieces.

While the chicken is cooking, pour vegetable oil into a deep pan until there is roughly 2" of oil in the pan.  Heat the vegetable oil on medium high heat.  When the oil is hot enough to sizzle when you drop a VERY SMALL drop of water in it (be careful here!), carefully place the rice sticks (little bit at a time) into the oil.  The rice sticks will puff up immediately.  Using a metal strainer, remove the rice sticks quickly before they brown and place on paper towel.  Do this with as much rice sticks as you want for the salad.

For the salad, add the shredded chicken, cabbage, romaine, almonds, scallions, carrots, cilantro and
mushrooms into a large bowl and mix well.

For the dressing, add all the dressing ingredients into a shake-able container and shake well.  Toss the salad with a portion of the dress just to coat.  Remember, a little goes a long way!  If you're not going to use all of the salad immediately, only toss that portion you are going to use.  Keep the rest of the salad in an air tight container in the refrigerator separate from the dressing to keep fresh.

To present, place some rice sticks on the plate.   Add some salad on top of the rice sticks.  Place some chopped cilantro or thinly sliced scallions on top and present!

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Cooking Sous Vide for the "Medium to Well" Crowd

Last night I had some friend over from the midwest.  The only reason I say midwest is that I'm originally from the midwest as well (Cincinnati), so I know the stereotype!  We midwest men like our steak "medium to well" thank you very much!  It took years of California living to transform me to the "Medium Rare" man that I am today (HAHA).

Enough digression, so I was going to make steaks for everyone, but we like them medium rare and he likes his medium well.  Luckily I have two water baths so I could have cooked mine at 132-135F and his at 150F and be done.  However, we were actually having surf and turf which means I was also cooking lobster which I do at 145F.  So I was faced with the similar problem of having more food to cook sous vide than I had water baths.  Of course the simply answer would be to cook the steak first and then the lobster sequentially in one of the water baths after the steak was done.  While simple, this would have extended the overall cooking time by 1 hour.  This dilemma is equivalent to having one water bath and the two steaks to cook (at different temperatures).

So I decided on another approach that I wanted to share with everyone.  I cooked the medium rare steaks in one water bath at 135F for 1 1/2 hours.  I heated up the other water bath to 145F and dropped the medium well steak in for 1 1/2 hours.  After 45 minutes, I dropped the lobster into the same water bath for 45 minutes.

The above approach yielded a perfect medium rare steak out of the first water bath and a perfectly cooked (I don't like the mi cuit version of lobster) lobster out of the second water bath.  I felt that the medium well steak out of the second water bath was probably a little underdone.  I turned the oven broiler on and set the oven rack to its second highest level (not the typical broiler level, but one down from there).  I put the steak in and set the timer for 3 minutes.  After 3 minutes I turned the steak and set the timer for 3 more minutes.  After that I took the steak out and let it rest.  I cut into it and it was a perfect medium well yet still very tender and juicy!

The moral of this story is that there are many ways to achieve the desired level of doneness for your dinner guests using sous vide without resorting to sequential cooking which can elongate the cooking process beyond what is acceptable.  Using a combination of sous vide and standard cooking methods (broiler, oven, searing), you can achieve wonderful results!  Cheers!

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