How to cook the juiciest chicken...in a bag

If you are a culinary fan in any way - via the web, TV cooking shows or venturing out to high end restaurants, there is no way you could have escaped the 'sous vide' phenomenon. Sous vide (translates to under vacuum) is a cooking method where food is vacuum sealed, and then cooked at a low, consistent temperature, usually in a water bath. The virtues of sous vide are that it allows you to seal in the juices and because you control the desired finished temperature, it will never exceed the temperature of your water, meaning you can't overcook your food.

As the popularity of sous vide cooking has increased, so has the availability of pricey sous vide cookers and kits. Under the assumption that the majority of us will not opt to purchase said expensive implements - I thought it worthwhile to explore the DIY version of sous vide, regardless of how much of a hack this may make me.

Materials:

2 pots - 1 large, 1 medium

1 resealable plastic bag

1 digital thermometer

Your choice of meat, single portion (vegetables can also be cooked sous vide)

Step 1 Determine the internal temperature required for your food to be considered cooked. I cooked a boneless, skinless chicken breast, therefore my desired internal temperature was 165F. Fill a large pot of water and heat it to the desired temperature (turn off the heat once you reach it). Fill your medium pot with water and bring it to a boil. Keep this secondary pot of water at a simmer.

Step 2 Place your meat in a resealable plastic bag. With the bag slightly open, submerge the meat into the water - the pressure of the water against the bag will force the air out as you submerge it. Seal the bag and let it float in the water bath.

Step 3 Monitor the temperature - it needs to stay consistent. You can adjust the water temperature by ladling in hot water from the simmering pot - or if you have a gas stove it is easy to apply heat in intervals. The amount of time needed to cook your item will depend on the cut. For the chicken breast I tested, 35 minutes seemed to be enough.

Step 4 Get some colour! Sous vide does not tend to produce the prettiest of foods. Since no one enjoys eating pale food, give a very quick sear to your meat in a frying pan or grill it over high heat.

Result My first observation after pulling the chicken out of the bag was the large volume of juice that came out, too. The chicken was very tasty, flavorful and juicy and the meat was evenly cooked and tender. There were no signs of that dry and rubbery chicken you can often end up with.

The technique itself was slightly tedious - you must monitor the water temperature closely, and 35 minutes to cook a chicken breast is a little time consuming, but overall it was much easier than I had anticipated. Ultimately, I'm not sure cooking in plastic is up my alley, and although the finished product is tasty, it does need some help in the appearance department. DIY sous vide is for those of us who enjoy the science of cooking as much as the cooking itself. It is an interesting process, and well worth a try. I will definitely enjoy sous vide again...in a restaurant.

Tips If you are going to give this a try, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Timing: It will take practice to determine how long your food needs to be cooked. Remember, with this process you can't overcook - so be comfortable to leave it in a little longer if you are unsure.

Cooler option: If you have trouble keeping a consistent water temperature, try pouring your hot water into a cooler and continue cooking with the lid closed. For this technique you will require a digital thermometer with a cord long enough to stretch outside the cooler.

Be creative: There are no limits to what you can sous vide. If you prefer trying it with fish, pork, beef or vegetables - go for it.

Try it in this recipe: Here is a great recipe to put sous vide to the test: Baby greens with chicken and spring vegetables. Start your recipe with chicken that has already been cooked sous vide method, and saute in the pan just long enough to get colour on the chicken. Then, continue with recipe as directed.

Originally published May 7th, 2012.