Recent Modernist Blog Posts Page 10

In Modernist Cooking Made Easy: Getting Started the recipe for mango noodles (and other recipes) includes locust bean gum, but the Modernist Pantry kit I bought does not include it. How can I substitute it? The recipe asks for locust bean gum and agar. Can I use xanthan gum or carrageenan?
- Alejo

Hi Alejo, that's a good question. In general, agar gels are brittle (they fall apart) while locust bean gum adds elasticity (makes them chewier and stay together). For gels that are being shaped, especially the gel noodles, the elasticity is critical, otherwise they tend to fall apart. For things like cubes or softer gels, you don't have to have the locust bean gum, the gels will just be less chewy.

I cooked sous vide London Broil @ 133°F for 72 hours. The water temp was accurate. Every 12 hours I checked the water level and each time there was more and more liquid in the bag. The meat ended up well done and dry. Any thoughts?
- Mark

Thanks for writing in, Mark!

London Broil can be a hard dish to troubleshoot! London Broil isn't actually a specific cut of beef, it's just a marketing term that can encompass several different cuts of meat including flank steak, top round, or chuck steak. Depending on the actual cut, the amount of sous vide time will vary.

To me, fish is already very tender, so why would I spend all that time on sous vide fish?? Am I missing something??
- Judy

Great question Judy!

There are several advantages to using sous vide to cook fish but to me the biggest advantage to sous vide is the convenience. Fish only takes 15 to 45 minutes to cook, so I typically toss it into the bag and get it into the water bath right away. Then I get started cooking the side dish(es). By the time the sides are done, the fish is perfectly cooked (with no attention needed from me) so I can take it out and eat the whole meal at the same time.

Interested in cooking some ribs? The Food Lab's got you covered with their Guide to Sous Vide Ribs. It gives a variety of helpful information so you can prepare your ribs to the texture you prefer. If you like a little kick to your country style ribs try my sous vide honey-chipotle glazed ribs or my other sous vide rib recipes for more options.

Many sous vide fish recipes specify using "high quality" or "sushi quality" fish. While it's always good to use higher quality ingredients, it is important from a safety standpoint for lower-temperature fish recipes (anything cooked below 130°F to 140°F (54.4°C to 60.0°C).

I was recently asked this question about what the best method of stabilizing a sauce is. Sauces, emulsions, and other mixtures are basically two or more types of ingredients that don't fully mix but are held in suspension. So an emulsion is typically a mixture of oil and vinegar and a hot sauce is a mixture of chile particles and vinegar. The problem with these mixtures is that when they sit, the two ingredients separate from each other. This is why salad dressing often needs to be shaken up before using it.

This week's top modernist articles, recipes, and blog posts.

This is a detailed review of the Anova Precision Cooker, an inexpensive immersion circulator manufactured by Anova Culinary LLC. This circulator, attached to a suitable container, will provide an excellent water bath for sous vide cooking. If you are interested in getting involved with sous vide cooking, this review will give you all of the information you need to determine if the Anova Precision Cooker is the right immersion circulator for your needs.

The best roundup of modernist links, articles, and recipes for then end of July.

I was recently approached by Joseph, from "Frankfurter Brett", who wanted to show off their new cutting board system. It's basically a workbench for the kitchen and it looks pretty awesome. They are currently in their Kickstarter campaign and hoping to find supporters. You can read all of my thoughts below and I highly recommend you go check out their page, including their awesome videos, and see what you think.

Buying an electric knife can greatly simplify your cutting process, especially for carving meat or making beef jerky. If you are in the market, we've got a good site for you to check out.

First, you can learn how to buy an electric carving knife. There are also several recommendations such as the Hamilton Beach Electric Knife. For a good all purpose knife there is the black and decker electric knife or the cuisinart electric knife.

Hope this helps you find the electric knife you are looking for.

Here in the US it is the 4th of July, which we typically celebrate with BBQs and picnics with large groups of friends. Here's some menu options for when you plan your upcoming parties, whether they are for the 4th, or any time this summer.

I recently got contacted by NextGen and was asked if I wanted to try out their new knife, the San Sebastian Elite model, and I've been using it for the last few days with great results.

Check out steak cooked on lava, sous vide chuck steak, reads about oysters, cheese, and shrubs, and much more.

I'm a big fan of the SousVide Supreme machines, though the price is usually too high to justify one. They are currently running a special where you can get the Demi for only $179, which is $150 off the normal price. It's a good deal if you are looking for a sous vide machine and puts it in range of the usually less expensive circulators.