Every chef has his favourite tool. For some it’s the humble knife. For others, something a little more ambitious, like a Dynamic stickblender or pasta maker. It’s this piece of equipment that they bestow with a significant amount of their culinary power. It has changed the way they move and work in the kitchen forever, which is what makes it so important. 

For Mark Veale, Head Chef at Thornbury Castle, this is the Clifton Foods Waterbath, perfect for the sous vide method of cooking.

When asked about the waterbath, he said it had “transformed his back of house”, before adding:

“Because of the slow, gentle cooking process, I can set it off at the start of the shift and thanks to the exact control and consistent temperature, I know that it will be perfect for lunchtime service.”

For those unfamiliar, sous vide is a method of cooking where food is sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath. This allows for exceptionally even cooking, keeping the outside from burning while thoroughly heating the inside. This keeps the food juicier and, going on personal experience, tastier.

Before getting back to the day job Mark told us a few of his favourite sous vide dishes, including slow poached duck egg with asparagus, pancetta and hollandaise sauce. He explained:

“Sous vide ensures that the protein in the eggs is perfect, in that the white is virtually translucent. When cooking eggs I set the machine to 62.5 degrees, and it does not fluctuate from this even if I add additional quantity. I also use it for part cooking veal rump before flash frying in the pan at the point of order.”

“In doing so, you can be confident that the meat is cooked consistently throughout.”

To see the complete range of sous vide equipment from Clifton Foods, go here.

For any other catering equipment, visit www.nisbets.co.uk


by Sam Beddall