In the culinary art, temperature and timing transform the taste experience. Each dish requires specific cooking to bring out the best flavours and textures, while preserving the organoleptic qualities of the raw materials.
From this point of view, low-temperature cooking is one of the most amazing techniques, because it allows time and temperature to be precisely combined, achieving the delicate balance that makes a dish unique.
What is low-temperature cooking?
Low temperature cooking refers to a process that uses moderate heat, usually between 50°C and 100°C, to cook food in a slow and controlled manner.
The blast chiller is a very useful tool for those using this technique because it regulates temperature, humidity and ventilation accurately over long periods of time, ensuring uniform cooking without constant operator control.
The multi-point core probe also helps to monitor each operation with maximum precision, reducing any human error. Even if the operator inserts the probe in a hurry, the 3 points ensure that the temperature is detected at the most central point of the product.
The origin of low-temperature cooking
There has been talk of low-temperature cooking for centuries. Samoans, Tongans, Turks and Indians, for example, used underground ovens that never exceeded 90 degrees. The same was done in Mexico to prepare the traditional tamales.
The technique was developed more precisely in the 1970s by French chef George Pralus, considered the father of vacuum cooking (sous-vide). Further refinement is due to scientist Bruno Goussault, who in the 1990s first identified temperature and time reference parameters for different types of food.
Since then, low-temperature cooking has become increasingly popular, both in restaurants and at home.
The benefits of low-temperature cooking
The popularity of this culinary technique is due to its advantages, both in terms of results and process optimisation.
- Precise cooking: the blast chiller allows flawless time and temperature control. The aim is to reach the optimum cooking point without the risk of overcooking, which would result in the loss of flavour, texture and nutritional value of the food.
- Unrivalled texture: with low-temperature cooking, food retains its juices and fibres do not break down: the texture becomes more tender and the original flavour is not lost.
- Authentic flavours and healthy food: sous-vide helps preserve the nutritional values of food because it prevents the loss of nutrients that are sensitive to high temperatures. In addition, if you vacuum-cook foods such as vegetables, you do not need to add water, thus preventing the loss of some of the vitamins, minerals and flavour in the liquid.
It also reduces oxidation of certain foods such as artichokes, which – once washed and cut – tend to blacken in contact with air. - Overnight cycles: the blast chiller allows you to optimise your work by taking advantage of downtime, such as the night hours. Pre-set and customisable cycles also allow prepared food to be blast chilled immediately, so that the operator finds it ready for storage when he returns to the kitchen.
- Productivity and costs: low-temperature cooking consumes less energy, making it an economical alternative to the oven, which remains free for other preparations to be carried out at the same time. This further optimises workflows.
Low-temperature cooking is the secret of a cuisine that enhances flavours without compromising the quality of ingredients, for a unique gastronomic experience.