From TastingTable.com…
The sous vide cooking method has taken the world of home cooking by storm over the past couple of years. As you may have heard, sous vide slow-cooks food in a water bath at a precise temperature set by the user. As Bon Appétit explains, the phrase “sous vide” translates to “under vacuum” in French, a reference to the process of vacuum sealing the food inside a plastic bag and then submerging that bag under the temperature-controlled water
Though the origin of sous vide cooking often points to two French chefs, Bruno Goussault and George Pralus (both called the “father of sous vide”), in the 1970s, per NPR, the actual first sous vide may have been right here in the U.S., when a retired Army colonel named Ambrose McGuckian had the same idea of wrapping food in sealed pouches before submerging the food in water — in 1968. Incredibly, Col. McGuckian’s story is far less known and the cooking method itself, while a sensation today, didn’t quite take off in America until decades later.
As for sous vide cooking, it is, in a word, consistent: Fans say it yields more flavorful results, reduces waste, and grants more flexibility with time consumption and attentiveness. A cooking method that used to only be available to professionals can now be done in your own home, and here are some tips to help you do so.
