The fine control of temperature and time determine the quality of culinary preparations.
Warm cod with spinach, idiazábal cream, pine nuts and Pedro Ximénez reduction. Emblematic example of cooking at low temperatures. [THE CELLER OF CAN ROCA]
Sous vide cooking differs from traditional culinary methods in two key ways: first, raw food is placed in a heat-resistant bag in the complete or partial absence of air; then, they are cooked for a certain time and at a lower temperature than usual, totally controlled and constant. The process is usually carried out in a thermostatted water bath, or “roner” (name derived from the instrument’s designers, chefs Joan Roca and Narcís Caner). Although a steam oven with temperature control is also suitable, the roner allows for more regular cooking.
The introduction of food in a bag where an air extraction is practiced has been applied for a long time. However, it was only used as a preservation technique for coffee, fruit, vegetables and cooked products. The absence of air prevents oxidation reactions, which lengthens the shelf life of food.
The first application of vacuum to cooking dates back to 1974, when Georges Pralus used it to prepare a duck liver terrine. But the expansion of this culinary method would be marked by the publication, in 2003, of The Vacuum Cooker, a book by Joan Roca and Salvador Brugués that delved into technical details and recipes.
