Thomas not Hubert :)

Thanks, FOAS! Shows what lack of sleep will get you. :) Trustworthy source, either way. :)

FOAS, I will always look at the name Thomas Keller and think of Hubert.

Plllog,

I know risotto is not a difficult dish to make. But I would love to tuck it in the SV and go on about my business until the timer rings. As I read the Modernist Cuisine chart I posted above, they cook many risottos (I was not aware that that was a generic term which did not apply only to an arboria rice dish) sous vide, but NOT arboria rice, which is the one I want to do. I am confused by terminology and exclusions. I can make spelt, oats, and pine nuts risottos sous vide, but not arboria rice risotto? I am confused (Yeah, well, that ain't unusual), but I am going to try the Sous Vide Supreme recipe for arboria rice SV. I'll report on it when it's in my tummy.

And, congratulations on becoming a sous vide cook. I have really enjoyed my SV Supreme, which I bought years ago on a super special package on eBay (Er, actually, which I convinced DH to buy for me as a birthday present.) It was my introduction to vacuum sealing as well as SV cooking.

Thanks to Dcarch, I think, I got in on the Anova innovative deal and bought two of their new units for a great pre-production price. One went to my brother and sister-in-law, who keep telling me how WONDERFUL chicken is in SV.

Please post your experiences with SV cooking.

And please, has ANYONE cooked risotto (with arboria rice, which I did not specify), in a SV setup? And if you did, how did it work, what would you do next time. . . all that stuff.)

Is it bad that I had never heard of Hubert until today? :)

Welcome to the dark side, plllog. I don't find SV to be quite the end-all that some seem to, but it does have its place in my kitchen. I've been toying with getting an Anova to supplement what I've already got. I've still not tried chicken for a handful of reasons, but I should. Next week I'll definitely be using it for corned beef, that was a great success last year.

Can't help you with the risotto, bellsmom, sorry, but I'd be interested in hearing your results.

I actually like Herbert Keller better than Thomas Keller. Herbert does more interesting recipes, and can plate better than Thomas.

I have done many kinds of risotto, but not sous vide. Will have to try that sometime.

dcarch

Thanks, all, for the kind words for the new initiate. I got a double on the Anova campaign, mostly for grins. It gives my old Farberware stockpot something to do besides soup for Passover, when my other, bigger pots are also in use. I got a chicken to try on because I'm thinking if I like it, I could sous vide turkey parts for Seder and start them early. :) I'm perfectly able to cook turkey by many methods, and it always comes out well, but there's the part of the day when it's just too danged early to start it, and then there's the panicked "My turkey!" moment when the scheduled hour is well past. I'm going to do quarters of the chicken with different preparations to see what's what.

Bellsmom, as I alluded, I didn't get much sleep last night. What I meant was that it looks like Modernist Cuisine only recommends using the sous vide for parcooking, and then finishing on the stove, which sounds sensible to me. Also that they don't recommend sous vide for the actual risotto rices that require the layers of starch to be sloughed off. I'm guessing there isn't enough room in the vacuum or something like that. I'll be interested to hear what yours comes out like when you try it. On my to-do list is eggplant, since I'm playing anyway, and the four Italian eggplants on my list came home as four American eggplants, so I'm overrun. :)

Plllog

Great idea to try a chicken with several different preps. As you know, the time/temp is different in SV for dark and light meat cuts. You may want to try two batches: one for the breasts at around 141 degrees and one for the legs and thighs at around 147.. You can use both of your Anovas at once!

Here's a scrambled egg recipe I want to try:

http://recipes.anovaculinary.com/recipe/heston-s-sous-vide-scrambled-eggs

Interesting recipe. I totally get why this might be ideal for catering, which is what so much of sous vide is geared for. Please do tell about it after you've made it.

Yes, I'm probably going to do the chicken the way you said. I'm torn between doing that, and following the instructions for doing them together. I know I need to try both. Since I have quarters, I'll probably do the separate first, and then try the both together when I have a whole chicken or halves. And I keep telling myself that I have to be ready for imperfect results while I'm learning. That's important, because I get perfect in the combi-steam every time. :)