Sous-Vide-Fresh™ Culinary Technology
The Sous-Vide-Fresh Culinary Technology was developed due to the demand for better quality, healthy food products. Sous–Vide-Fresh Culinary Technology is a state of the art food preparation system. The system is relatively simple; it combines years of evolution in the culinary industry.
The Sous-Vide-Fresh System is the combination of many systems which evolved over the years all rolled into one state of the art operation, untouched by human hands, in a modified atmosphere. Once fresh meats, fish and other foods are picked or matured, the Sous-Vide-Fresh System takes over. Sous-Vide-Fresh products are “Fresher than Fresh”.
Sous-Vide-Fresh introduces two major innovations for healthy food:
Freezing food so rapidly that its cell structure remains intact, thus preserving its taste, texture, and appearance;
Cooking and freezing fresh food in a specially designed pouch that is sold directly to the consumer. Deep-freezing respects the integrity of food.
We have the passion and drive to create extraordinary dining experiences. Sous-Vide-Fresh Culinary Technology makes extraordinary cuisine possible. Sous-Vide-Fresh can turn the mundane into the marvelous. We utilize cutting edge technology to set new standards in innovation and quality.
Then and now
Cooking fresh foods in sealed pouches is nothing new. For centuries, people encased food in something more or less waterproof, like animal stomachs, bladders and the like, heated it in a water bath. Food cooked this way was steamy, moist, and perfumed with any herbs or spices sealed inside the bundle. The popular Scottish haggis is just one example, sausages are another, etc.
Sous Vide
The method of sous vide cooking, also known as cuisine en papillote, was developed by Georges Pralus (for an interview with Pralus in French, click here ) and a university food scientist, as a method for improving the cooking of foie gras in 1974 for the Restaurant Troisgros (of Claude and Michel Troisgros) in "Roanne, France" Roanne, France. They discovered that food cooked in this way seals in flavor and keeps its nutritional value. This method is used mostly in high-end restaurants. "Paul Bocuse" Paul Bocuse, "Joel Robuchon" Joel Robuchon and "Charlie Trotter" Charlie Trotter are some of the proponents of the benefits. Increasingly, this methodology is coming to the attention of the amateur/domestic cook.
Sous-Vide-Fresh™ is an improved process which is available for the home meal consumer under the trade label of Sous-Vide-Fresh™, available exclusively in casual elegance at the A Taste Above boutiques. www.atasteabove.com.
There are many cooked products, fresh and frozen, in the market place but there is only one method that can truly be called Sous-Vide-Fresh™. This cooking method technology is achieved by gently and slowly cooking our fresh entrees and sauces at low, varying temperatures for long periods of time immersed in water and sealed in our own specially designed vacuum tight pouches. This allows the cellular structure of food to remain intact. The food's natural moisture and juices are retained, preserving its flavor, aroma, and nutrients. The food’s natural flavors are so enhanced that far less seasoning, especially salt, is required.
The natural fibers soften and dissolve, leaving proteins, such as beef, tender enough to cut with a fork. The food is not only improved in taste, it retains its nutritional content. This is importance, since placing food in "Anaerobic" anaerobic environments can cause the growth of botulinum spores. Sous-Vide-Fresh cooking must be performed under carefully controlled conditions to avoid the growth of botulinum spores. To help with food safety and taste, relatively expensive water-bath machines are used to circulate precisely heated water; differences of even one degree can affect the finished product.
The preparation
The preparation of Sous-Vide-Fresh™ is similar to the Sous Vide cooking method. The difference lies in the process.
In Sous-Vide-Fresh™ the cooking process is interrupted by blast freezing giving the product an extended shelf life without jeopardizing flavor or nutrition. Deep-freezing is indisputably the best technology for preserving food naturally and retaining its original qualities. Once fresh meats, fish and other foods are picked, matured, or prepared a deteriorating effect happens within hours. Blast freezing stops and kills built up bacteria.
Blast Freezing
Blast freezing was discovered and developed in 1920 by Clarence Birdseye, an American inventor.
While on an Arctic expedition, he observed that freshly-caught fish freezes immediately when exposed to the glacial air. Even when consumed by the Eskimos several weeks, or even months later, the fish retained all of its nutritional qualities, taste, texture and appearance.
Clarence Birdseye then had the idea of applying this technique to food preservation. With an initial investment of $7 for an electric fan, buckets of brine, and cakes of ice, he invented and later perfected the first machine for freezing food. This process became known as blast-freezing.
He improved and perfected the blast-freezing process over a period of 10 years. Large food groups took an interest and history came to be written. In the United States the first deep-frozen products began to be sold in retail shops. They arrived in Europe shortly afterwards.
Sous-Vide-Fresh™ introduces two major innovations for frozen food:
1. Freezing food so rapidly that its cell structure remains intact, thus preserving its taste, texture, and appearance;
2. Cooking and freezing fresh food in a pouch that is sold directly to the consumer.
Deep-freezing respects the integrity of food: it suspends foods in its optimal state, only a few hours after being fished, picked, matured or prepared; it does not alter any of its qualities and requires no additives, preservatives or stabilizers; prior to being eaten the food is still intact and retains its initial taste and nutritive qualities.
Fresher than fresh food, deep-frozen food maintains the nutritional quality, taste, texture and appearance of fresh food longer than fresh food ever could.
The consumers are right: frozen food has a very good image. Frozen food is considered to be "fresh food with an extended use-by date". This means that it offers quality that is equivalent to, or better than, that of "fresh" products, but without the time constraint of consuming it quickly.
When ready to use, simply place the specially designed pouch in tepid water 60 Celsius /120 Fahrenheit to continue the cooking process to a further cooking point, whether you desire rare, medium, or well done. Then baste with sauce, braise in an oven or serve as is.
Blast freezing of Sous-Vide-Fresh foods, compared with chilling, minimizes the risk of growth of botulinum spores and extends product shelf-life. Sous-Vide-Fresh™ time/temperature values have been determined in the current project to deliver ideal textures (pre-determined by sensory tests) in 10 sous- vide/frozen foods which have application as ready-meal components. Freezing post-sous vide softened the texture of carrots, broccoli, potato slices and pasta shells compared with sous vide/chilling; whereas the opposite effect was found in Sous-Vide-Fresh™ for all foods, especially meats such as beef, fish (especially salmon), scallops, lobster, cod and rice. Natural fibers soften and dissolve, leaving proteins, such as beef, tender enough to cut with a fork. The food is not only improved in taste, it retains its nutritional content.
France already has a long and successful history on the French consumer retail market, which the French have been enjoying. Sous-vide (pronounced sue vide), is now available in North America to the retail consumer under the trade mark of Sous-Vide-Fresh™ available exclusively at the A Taste Above boutiques.
- Ready to serve world-renowned Chef-prepared dishes: just follow the instructions to finish at home – guaranteed results.
- 100% natural organic products (where possible) with no additives or preservatives. Not treated in any way – superior taste compared to mass produced food.
- New exotic food items every month – enjoy wild flavor with uncommon gourmet delicacies or when the urge strikes for something different.
- State-of-the-art cooking facility that meets or exceeds all QMP (Quality Management Program) standards – consistent quality is assured every time and meets or exceeds national and international standards.
- Portion control – ensures consistent sizing for improved operating efficiency. Packaging quantities allows for product mix and match – use-what-you-need packaging format.
- Cooked/cooled/sealed - individual Sous-Vide-Fresh superior quality, bacteria proof packaging with sealed-in flavor, juices and nutrients.
- Ordering convenience via internet, telephone or at the shop – allows advance planning, time savings and convenience.
- Sommelier Service – appropriate wine selection advice will ensure the ultimate tasting experience and satisfaction.
All vegetative forms of pathogenic bacteria are destroyed using this method. Products cooked at specific temperatures using this method retain part of their alteration flora. This allows for easy detection of any temperature abuse during storage.
The specially designed and sealed pouch used in this cooking method prevents contamination at the storage and handling levels.
SOUS-VIDE-FRESH™. Healthy oven-ready foods for your dining pleasure are available in the A Taste Above boutique outlets exclusively www.atasteabove.com
