Sous Vide Supreme Part II: Offering Savory Dinnertime Solutions

Disclosure: Mom Central received a complimentary Sous Vide Supreme to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed here are our own.

The past month or so has found me constantly on the go and in the midst of a feverish travel schedule – in somewhere around six different cities, attending multiple events, meetings, and conferences. So when I finally headed home, I wanted to spend time with my kids before they headed back to college – catching up and being together as a family before my husband and I became empty-nesters again this fall.

But while I love to cook, this summer I simply didn’t want to spend time more time in the kitchen than necessary. I wanted to be on my patio, lingering over delicious meals with my family. It proved the perfect time to try out some new recipes with Sous Vide Supreme, a sous vide machine that allows home cooks to make fabulous meals with minimal effort – food simply needs to be seasoned, vacuum-sealed, then tossed into to the Sous Vide Supreme.

For a recent dinner, I shucked fresh corn that I bought from a farmer’s market and seasoned it simply with butter, salt, and pepper. I also trimmed fresh snow peas and added sliced garlic along with salt and pepper. With both of these vegetable sides, I then vacuum-sealed them separately and put them aside.

For our main course, I found a wonderful recipe (see below) for diver scallops seasoned with fresh thyme, lemon, shallot, salt, and pepper. And because my family adores shrimp with lemon and butter, I prepared another seafood course – this one with my secret ingredient of black garlic. As I did with our sides, I simply vacuum-sealed both pouches and tossed them into the Sous Vide Supreme.

The results proved just what I needed. We had an amazing meal – and after I did the minimal prep work, I set the Sous Vide Supreme and headed out to the patio to relax and chat with my family.

Because the food simmers in its own juices and seasonings, it comes out so tender, succulent, and flavorful. We’ve never had such tender shrimp. Moreover, the Sous Vide Supreme prepares vegetables with a delicate touch – I simply needed to add minimal seasonings and the flavor of these summertime offerings shone through.

Even better, I found the machine so easy to operate. I set the temperature, and the clear vacuum packaging made it easy to see when the food was ready – the shrimp “pinked” up, and the vegetables revealed a bright, colorful hue. We enjoyed a wonderful summertime dinner – and I got to be with my family. And it wasn’t over – wait till you hear what we had for dessert!
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Williams-Sonoma

Diver Scallops with Red and Golden Baby Beets

When cooking the beets sous vide, place the red and golden beets in separate vacuum bags, as instructed below, so they will maintain their individual colors.

Ingredients:

For the beets:

• 14 to 20 red and golden baby beets, tops removed, beets peeled and halved (keep colors separate)
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 6 peppercorns

For the scallops:

• 8 large diver scallops
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• Grapeseed oil for searing

Directions:

To prepare the beets, set the Sous Vide Professional to 185°F (85°C), with the rear pump flow switch closed and the front flow switch set to fully open.

Place the red and golden beets in separate vacuum bags and add the orange juice, lime zest, lime juice and peppercorns, dividing evenly.
Seal the bags to 99.9%, full vacuum.

Once the target temperature of 185°F (85°C) is reached, place the bags in the circulating water bath. Cook the beets to the desired doneness, 45 to 75 minutes.

Remove the bags from the circulating water and remove the beets from the bags.

To prepare the scallops, set the Sous Vide Professional to 125°F (52°C), with the rear pump flow switch closed and the front flow switch set to fully open.

Season the scallops with salt and pepper.

Place the scallops in a small vacuum bag and add the thyme sprigs, lemon zest and shallot.
Seal the bag to the desired vacuum; for delicate shellfish, 80% to 90% vacuum is desirable. This will ensure the scallops are not compressed under vacuum, compromising the integrity of the delicate muscle fibers.

Once the target temperature of 125°F (52°C) is reached, place the bag in the circulating water.
Cook the scallops to the desired doneness, 15 to 35 minutes.

Remove the bag from the circulating water and carefully remove the scallops from the bag. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.

In a very hot pan, warm grapeseed oil. Add the scallops and sear until a golden crust forms on both sides. Serve the scallops with the beets. Serves 3 or 4.

Adapted from a recipe by PolyScience.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Stacy DeBroff

Stacy DeBroff, founder and CEO of Mom Central.com and social and digital consultancy, Influence Central, is a social media strategist, attorney, and best-selling parenting author. A sought-after expert for national media, she trend-spots regularly with national brands and speaks frequently to national and international audiences on a wide range of subjects, including influencer marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, and consumer trends. A passionate cook, gardener, reader, and tennis player, she adores this new chapter of post-college-age parenting.