Two things have become second nature to me in my first few months as a dedicated ChefSteps community member: 1) thinking in Celsius and 2) thinking about the application of heat over time. Obviously number two is more important, but I've found number one to be the sort of mnemonic device that enables the former. It's simply easier to remember a set of degrees in °C (for me at least) because two digits beats out three for memorization. I'll leave the accuracy discussions to the experts.
Taking these skills, I set out to improve a simple and tried-and-true
vegetable barley soup recipe from Dr. Weil (which I enhance with chicken). Armed with my basic knowledge that a chicken breast can be perfectly done sous vide at 65°C for around 35 minutes and that the veg could be perfectly done at around 75°C for 45 minutes (give or take) and the humble digital thermometer, I brought the soup up to 75°C to cook the veg, then lowered to 65°C for the chicken.
In the past I'd taken a more haphazard "set it and forget it" approach to soups which almost always resulted in them reaching a flavor-destroying boil. This time I was still able to walk away from the kitchen, but I did so purposefully and with the assurance that I knew exactly what was happening to the ingredients in my soup. Knowledge is power, and delicious.
Results? The carrots were done with a perfect bite, retaining all their flavor. And the chicken? Like butter. Delicious chickeny butter in a soup.
