Side Dishes

Courtesy of Chef Jason Wilson (Crush, Seattle, WA)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds (.9 kg) fresh okra, washed, patted dry, and tops trimmed
• Kosher salt (divided use)
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon (20 ml) lemon zest (divided use)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) red curry paste (or 2 teaspoons/10 ml powder)
• 1 cup (240 ml) fresh Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup (10 g) chopped fresh mint
• ¼ cup (10 g) chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill and preheat the Sous Vide Supreme water oven to 178F/81C.
2. Toss the okra in ½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) of the salt, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the olive oil and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of the lemon zest.
3. Put the okra, in a single layer, into one or more cooking pouch(es) and vacuum seal
4. Submerge the pouch(es) in the water oven and cook for 1 hour.
5. When cooked, open the pouch(es) and drain the accumulated pouch liquid into a medium bowl and set aside.
6. Whisk the red curry paste, remaining lemon zest, and yogurt into the pouch liquid to make the sauce for the okra. Set aside for serving.
7. Pat the okra dry with paper towels (kitchen paper) in preparation for frying
8. In a skillet, on the stovetop, over medium high heat, add the remaining olive oil and when hot, pan fry the okra for 2 to 3 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.
9. Season with salt to taste and toss with the mint and cilantro.
10. Serve on a puddle of the yogurt sauce or serve the sauce on the side.

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil
• 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups (316 g) rice
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 can (14 ounces/410 g) canned diced tomatoes and their juice
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) ground black pepper or to taste
• 6 sprigs fresh cilantro, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill and preheat the SousVide Supreme water oven to 183F/84C.
2. In a skillet on the stove top, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions until limp.
3. Add the rice and stir to coat. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. When cool, put the rice into a large zip-closure cooking pouch, add the chicken or vegetable stock and the tomatoes and their juice, and season with the salt and pepper.
5. Use the displacement method (Archimedes’ Principle) to remove the air and zip the seal.
6. Submerge the pouch in the water oven to cook for 45 minutes.
7. Remove, fluff the rice with a fork, and transfer to a warm serving bow.
8. Garnish with the cilantro and serve!

Courtesy of Catherine Enfield (Munchie Musings)
Serves 2 (easily multiplies, but keep corn in a single layer in the pouches)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pieces fresh corn on the cob, shucked
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) Sriracha
• 1/2 tablespoon (7 g) butter
• Parmesan cheese (or your favorite cheese), shredded

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill and preheat the SousVide Supreme water oven to 182F/83.5C
2. Take each corn cob and use a basting brush to coat the corn all over with Sriracha sauce.
3. Put coated cobs into a cooking pouch, add the butter, and vacuum seal.
4. Submerge the pouch in the water bath and cook for 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Carefully remove the pouch from the water bath and remove the cobs from the pouch.
6. Sprinkle the hot cobs with cheese and serve immediately.

Courtesy of Chef Craig Plainfield
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 4 eggs
• 4 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 cup (about 2 stalks) celery, trimmed and diced
• 3/4 cup (about 6) green onions, trimmed and diced
• 3/4 cup (about 1 ½) red or green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and diced
• ½ cup (about 8 slices) crisp bacon, chopped
• ¼ cup (60 ml volume) dill pickles, chopped
• ½ cup (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup (60 ml) white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) smoked salt
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black pepper
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) chili flakes, (optional)
• 1 tablespoon (5 ml) Dijon mustard
• ½ cup (120 ml) mayonnaise, homemade or a top quality brand
• ½ cup (120 ml) thick Greek-style yogurt

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill and preheat the Sous Vide Supreme water oven to 167 degrees.
2. Put the eggs, in their shells, directly into the water oven (no pouch needed) and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the eggs and submerge in an ice water bath until cold.
3. Raise the temperature of the water oven to 183F/84C.
4. Put the diced potatoes, in a single layer, into a cooking pouch and vacuum seal.
5. Submerge the pouch and cook the potatoes for 1 hour.
6. Remove the pouch and squeeze a potato cube through the pouch to test doneness. It should crush with just a bit of yield. If the potatoes are not done return them to the water oven and cook them until they are done.
7. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add the celery, green onions, peppers, bacon, and pickles and combine. Peel and dice the eggs and add them to the bowl. Toss together all of the ingredients until completely mixed.
8. Remove the potatoes from the water oven and open the pouch. Drain away any pouch liquid and pour the potatoes into the bowl on top of the vegetables.
9. Immediately drizzle the oil over the hot potatoes. Then drizzle the vinegar over the potatoes. Then sprinkle the salt, pepper and chili flakes over the potatoes.
10. In a small bowl, mix the mustard, mayonnaise, and yogurt together and pour this dressing over the potatoes.
11. Mix the salad very gently but thoroughly. Chill well and serve.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 to 3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced in ½ inch (1 cm) cubes
• 1 head garlic
• 4 ounces (113 g) butter, softened
• ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, warmed
• Salt and pepper to taste½ cup (25 g) finely snipped fresh chives, for color, if desired.

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill and preheat the SousVide Supreme water oven to 183F/84C.
2. Put the potatoes into a cooking pouch and vacuum seal.
3. Submerge the pouch in the water oven to cook for at least an hour (and up to 4 hours will not affect texture.)
4. Meanwhile, roast the garlic:
   1. Cut the top off of the garlic head exposing the cloves.
   2. Sprinkle the head with olive oil and salt and wrap it in a piece of aluminum foil.
   3. Seal the packet and roast the garlic in a 350F/175C oven for 45 minutes. When done let the garlic cool enough to handle and then squeeze all of the garlic out of the skins. The garlic should be paste-like.
5. In a blender, process the roasted garlic cloves with the butter. Set aside.
6. When ready to serve, transfer the potatoes to a bowl; add the garlic butter and all remaining ingredients and mash with a potato masher to your desired consistency.
7. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to your preference and top with the chives, if desired.

TIP: You can prepare the potatoes up to a day or two in advance of a meal and then quick chill submerged in ice water for 15 minutes and hold in the refrigerator until ready to proceed. When you put the meat/protein into the water oven return the potatoes to re-warm as the steaks cook, then mash

Serves 4
Note: Fiddlehead ferns are the young shoot of ostrich ferns, reputedly the safest fern to eat. Occasionally fiddleheads produce a heat-labile toxin that can cause acute gastrointestinal distress from consuming raw or incompletely cooked fiddleheads.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 quart (.96 liters) ice cold water
• ½ lemon, for juice and zest
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
• 2 dozen fiddlehead ferns, trimmed to remove any brown or dry spots
• freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons (42 g) butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill a medium bowl with cold water and add the salt and the juice from the lemon; add the fiddleheads and soak them in the water to clean them.
2. Fill and preheat the SousVide Supreme water oven to 186F/85C.
3. Drain the fiddleheads and pat them dry. Put them into a cooking pouch, grind some pepper over them and vacuum seal.
4. Submerge the pouch in the water oven to cook for 45 minutes.
5. When ready to finish, melt the butter in a pan (not non-stick) over medium high heat.
6. Drain any liquid from the pouch and put sauté the ferns in the butter about 2 minutes on each side, until slightly crispy and golden.
7. Season (if needed) with additional salt and pepper and the lemon zest.
8. Serve hot as a side dish.

Variation: Serve tossed into cooked angel hair pasta, with aged parmigiano reggiano for a light spring supper.

Courtesy of Chika Machida
Serves 1 to 2, recipe easily doubles

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium to large Japanese sweet potato (dark red/purple skin), washed well and cut into small wedges or chunks
• 4 tablespoons (56 g) salted butter
• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) maple syrup (preferably All-Natural Grade B for flavor, no high-fructose corn syrup)
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
• Black sesame seeds (for topping)

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill and preheat the SousVide Supreme water oven to 186F/85C.
2. Put the potato wedges in a single layer into a zip-closure cooking pouch, add half the butter, half the maple syrup, and the water. Use the displacement method (Archimedes’ principle) to evacuate the air and zip the seal.
3. Submerge the pouch in the water oven to cook for 1 1/2  hours.
4. On the stovetop, in a skillet over medium-high heat, add remaining butter, maple syrup and the accumulated liquid from the cooking pouch and bring to a caramelizing bubble.
5. Add the cooked potatoes and stir. Allow the glaze to thicken, until it is reduced by half and the potatoes are evenly coated.
6. Remove from heat, sprinkle with black sesame seeds, and enjoy!

Courtesy of SousVide Supreme Culinary Professional, Sophie
Serves 2 -4

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups (350 g) diced rutabagas/Swedes or turnips
• 1 tablespoon (30 ml) molasses or treacle
• ½ teaspoon (2.5ml) ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) ground nutmeg
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup (60ml) cream
• ¼ cup (15g) breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoons (15ml) butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill and preheat the SousVide Supreme to 185 F/85 C.
2. Put the diced rutabagas, treacle, ginger and nutmeg into a large food-grade cooking pouch and vacuum seal the pouch.
3. Submerge the pouch in the water bath to cook for 1 hour.  (You can do this up to a couple of days in advance.  If delaying finishing, quick chill the pouch, submerged in ice water, for 20 minutes and refrigerate.)
4. Position a baking rack into the water oven and arrange ramekins/ small serving dishes in the water oven, fill them with water, and add enough water to the bath so it reaches half way up the ramekins.
5. Remove and dry the ramekins/serving dishes and butter them inside.
6. Set the water oven to 185F/85 C.
7. Divide the rutabaga mixture among the ramekins/serving dishes. Cover or tent foil over the ramekins to avoid condensation.
8. Carefully put the ramekins onto the baking rack in the water bath and let cook for one hour. (This step, too, can be done in advance; let he dish cool and refrigerate for up to a day before proceeding.)
9. When ready to finish, scatter the remaining breadcrumbs on top of the dishes and dot with the butter.
10. Heat the broiler to high heat and brown the tops of the lanttulaatikko (about 5 minutes) to a golden color.
11. Serve as a festive side dish at Christmas.

Serves 4 to 6

While it’s not exactly certain who Jansson was (some say an opera singer from the 19th C and others a film character) the English translation of the name of this Swedish is “Jansson’s temptation.” Whoever he was, this creamy potato dish, particularly popular at Christmas, could surely tempt anyone at the holidays or any time.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds (0.9 kg) potatoes, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks or shredded
• 2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• salt and white pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, plus some for buttering the casserole
• 3 ½ ounces (100 g) Swedish sprats in oil (or rinsed anchovies), chopped
• 2 cups (480 ml) heavy cream
• ½ cup (60 g) bread crumbs, toasted or packaged

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill and preheat the SousVide Supreme to 185F/85C.
2. Season the potatoes with the salt and pepper, put them into a cooking pouch, and vacuum seal.
3. Season the onions with the salt and pepper, put them into a cooking pouch, and vacuum seal.
4. Submerge the pouches in the water oven to cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
5. Remove the pouches and finish. (You can prepare to this point up to 2 or 3 days in advance. If not proceeding with the recipe right away, quick chill the pouches, submerged in ice water (half ice half water) for 15 to 20 minutes and refrigerate.)
6. To finish, preheat the traditional oven to 375F/190C.
7. Generously grease a casserole dish with butter. Spread about one-third of the cooked potatoes evenly over the bottom of the dish, followed by half the onions and half the sprats. Dot with butter and pour on half cream. Repeat with another third of the potatoes, the remaining onions and sprats, and dot with butter and the remaining cream. Top with the remaining potatoes. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and dot with butter.
8. Put the casserole onto a baking sheet or foil (to catch liquid) and into the oven to heat through and brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
9. Serve.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS
For the potatoes

• 2 pounds (.9 kg) red potatoes, washed and cubed

For the dressing

• 6 slices bacon, diced
• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper
• 1 handful fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fill and preheat the SousVide Supreme to 182F/ 83C.
2. Put the potatoes into a cooking pouch in a single layer and vacuum seal
3. Submerge in the water oven to cook for 30 to 45 minutes until nicely tender.
4. Meanwhile, in a skillet on the stovetop, cook the bacon until crisp, drain and set aside.
5. In the same skillet, saute the onion until translucent in the bacon grease.
6. To finish
   1. Deglaze the skillet with the vinegar, stirring up all the brown bits adhering to the bottom.
   2. Whisk in the sugar and all the seasonings, except the parsley. Set aside and keep warm.
   3. When the potatoes have cooked, drain off any accumulated liquid and pour them into a large serving bowl.
   4. Pour the warm dressing over the potatoes, add the bacon, and toss to coat evenly.  Add the parsley and toss again. Serve warm.

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups (2 quarts/1.9 liters) chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 cups (630 g) uncooked medium or long-grain white rice
• 3 tablespoons Enchilada Spice* (recipe follows)
• 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper or large pasilla or poblano, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced

DIRECTIONS

1. Fill and preheat the sous vide supreme to 183F/82C
2. Into each of two large (gallon/3.8 liter) zip-closure cooking pouches, put half the water and half the rice.
3. Season each pouch with half the Enchilada Spice and add half the diced peppers.
4. Use the displacement method (Archimedes’ Principle) to remove the air and zip the seals.
5. Submerge the pouches in the water oven to cook for 45 minutes.
6. Remove, fluff with a fork, and serve.

Enchilada Spice
Makes about ½ cup of spice

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) paprika
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) chili powder
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) coarse salt
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) coarse black pepper
• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) onion powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried mustard
• ¼ teaspoon (0.6 ml) cayenne pepper, or to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients together in a zip-closure bag to blend well.
2. Use what you need and store the remainder in the zip-closure bag in a cool dry place.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large head cauliflower (or 2 smaller ones)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• ½ tsp coarse salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 5 ½ ounces (170 g) Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the SousVide Supreme water oven to 183F/83C.
2. Wash the cauliflower well and let drain to remove excess water.
3. Trim away the outer leaves with a sharp knife and slice the head in half and then the halves into 1/2-inch slices.
4. Sprinkle the cauliflower with the salt and pepper.
5. Divide the slices between two large (gallon) food-grade pouches, arranging them in a relatively even layer about an inch thick. Add a tablespoon of butter to each pouch.
6. Vacuum seal the pouch, removing as much air as is possible.
7. Put pouch into the pouch rack, horizontally, and submerge it in the water bath to cook for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. (Check pouch at 15 to 20 minutes, because air may remain in the spaces between florets may cause the pouch to float and result in uneven cooking. If the pouch floats, remove it, cut across the bag near the seal, vacuum seal again, and return to the pouch rack in the water bath.)
8. Remove the pouch from the bath after the cooking time has elapsed, open the pouch carefully, and pour the cauliflower and accumulated liquid into the work bowl of a food processor or blender.
9. Add couple the Boursin cheese in chunks and pulse or blend on low for short intervals, turn machine off, remove lid, and use a spatula to scrape down sides and push unblended pieces to the bottom. Replace lid and blend again. Repeat until the puree is smooth and creamy.
10. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired, and serve immediately.
11. Alternatively, at this point, you may quick-chill the puree for later use.

To prepare ahead and hold:

1. Complete the recipe above, then return the puree to a clean food-grade cooking pouch, press out as much air as possible, and seal the pouch (do not vacuum, just seal.)
2. Submerge the sealed pouch in an ice water bath (half ice/half water) for at least 15 minutes, then refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
3. Reheat in a 180F/82C water bath for 30 to 40 minutes or longer before serving or at a lower temperature alongside meat, poultry or fish as it cooks or reheats.