Sous Vide Specialties

The Bistro Blanc menu includes a number of items cooked with the sous vide method, sometimes called "cryovacking" or "under vacuum". But what is sous vide, and what makes it special?

The technique involves cooking items at low temperatures for long periods of time, sometimes for as long as 72 hours. The food is placed in vacuum sealed bags and given a long, slow bath in precisely warmed water, then cooled. The food -- generally proteins like meat, fish or poultry -- cooks calmly with a minimum of stress so the protein molecules don't clench up and the majority of the natural juices are retained. The result is moist, succulent meats that seem to melt in your mouth and retain more of their natural flavor.

An in-depth New York Times Magazine article gives a wonderful overview of the sous vide method and profiles one of its primary ambassadors, Bruno Goussault. The article also highlights why this is a cooking method best left to the professionals -- the water baths must be controlled very carefully -- but when it's done right the results are outstanding.

Bistro Blanc's Chef Marc Dixon learned the sous vide method from Goussault at a course in Michel Richard's Citronelle restaurant in 2008. Since then, he has been working to fine-tune his skill with the method and expand to different dishes. At the recent Wolf Blass Wine Dinner, Chef Dixon prepared a sous vide kangaroo that still has the Australian guest Chris Hatcher's tongue wagging.

Today, Bistro Blanc's menu includes sous vide salmon, Peking duck breast, wild rockfish and shrimp. All are thoroughly delectable, but the salmon is the perhaps the most popular starting point for diners. Chef Dixon also offers frequent specials making use of the cooking method, so keep an eye out for sous vide on the Bistro Blanc menu and give your taste buds a treat.