In need of advice for Modern Oven Techniques/Strategies

Greetings:

I have the very privileged opportunity to be working with a Rational Combi Oven as well as Cvap drawers at our soon to open restaurant.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of what I know about them is theoretical and I have limited hands on experience. (I can't wait to fix that!)

So, based on what I've read (mostly in modernist cuisine).

Am I correct to assume that:

When the humidity is set to 100%, the temperatures and times I use to cook low temp in a circulated water bath are generally interchangeable?

And if anyone is willing to share their favorite techniques/strategies for these modern ovens, I would be grateful.

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Comments

Przemyslaw_93807

I tested poultry and fish in combi oven 100% humidity. and result were very close to SV method and way faster than sous vide. Poultry in stead of 7 hours were done in 4-4,5h. so pretty good result i think. There is one disadventage if you compare SV circulator & combi oven low temp methods... SV got more mass, accumulate way more energy, and loose it slower than in combi oven, so combi oven need to "eat" more electric energy comparing to circulator.

But for more diferences, we need to ask someone more experienced.

J_Scott_Seeley_149508

The Sous Vide Will use less current. But if you are in a larger service venue. Rational, Cleveland Combi ovens is a real solution. You can produce up to 78 portions in a small 3 tray Rational oven. I have done 368 "poached" Salmon in 2.5 hours on a low heat full humidity Rational. Bagged the salmon with sprig if dill and lemon/lime butter.

J_Scott_Seeley_149508

But as a traditional restaurant venue. 2 sous vide tanks are usually adequate. And at more than half the cost. Lol.

Johan_Edstrom_5586

Thanks a bunch sir! For you other Chefsteppers, I asked Scott to join and answer this, he has been working a lot with CVAP, he is a new to the US guy, the bomb on island cuisine and a classically trained chef, I think we need that balance

David_Cox_152983

Hi Nate,

I have been a chef for 20 years and have used Rational for about 12 (I think).

My best tip is about using the RED/BLUE combination at high temperatures.

A lot of chefs assume that if you want to make anything brown and maybe crispy at higher temperatures they should stampede towards the RED 0% humidity option.

There seems at play an assumption that 'dry' heat will rob the surface of the product of moisture, thereby browning and crisping it up.This feels intuitively correct and may be true at a very basic level but by the time this has occurred your product may be very dry indeed.

In actual fact I find the best way of browning, say, a chicken breast is to use the heat conductivity of water to much more efficiently convey energy to the product. I always tell my chefs that at, say, 250 degrees (celsius!), don't think of water as 'water'. It is a very, very hot gas and will help brown things very effectively! Anywhere between 30% and 50% humidity seems to be most effective.

Dave

nwhiting79

Thank You Dave! I appreciate your insight!