Cook's Illustrated

Sous Vide Dinner and Dessert

I’ve been a sous vide enthusiast since the early days, when water-bath cooking and consumer-grade circulators were just taking off. Being able to pull off uniformly rosy steaks, silky fish fillets, and just-set poached eggs—and never worrying about missing the mark—were the perks that lured me in, and they still impress me every time I cook.

But lately what keeps my immersion circulator in heavy use is how effortless it can make meal planning. Its precision also makes it a great tool when you’re cooking for company, since you can be sure that your results will turn out perfectly. And in many cases, you can cook the food ahead of time and either reheat it or leave it at its target temperature until you’re ready to serve it or apply finishing touches (such as a sear on proteins). You can also use an immersion circulator to make multiple courses for a meal, including dessert.

With that in mind, I put together a pair of recipes that showcase how easy and impressive

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