YIELD 14 OUNCES (400 GRAMS)
Sous Vide Temperature 185°F/85°C
Sous Vide Time 12 to 16 hours
Active Cooking Time 20 minutes
To Make Ahead Dulce de leche can be refrigerated for up to 7 days.
Sous vide…desserts? Yes, you read that correctly. You can sous vide dessert. Not all dessert. You cannot sous vide cake or pie or cookies. As baking expert Stella Parks wrote on Serious Eats: “Desserts need to expand, rise, evaporate, reduce, brown, crisp, and so many other things that just aren’t going to happen in a steamy bag.” But you can sous vide some desserts—and they’re worth it.
What it comes down to is choice. Choose the correct dessert, and you get to make something delicious that comes with the guarantee of the sous vide technique. Through our testing, we found that sous vide is most effective with creamy, custardy desserts—from pudding to ice cream—and fruit-based desserts.
Speaking of creamy custards: They’re a good place to start (this page).
Custards excel in a sous vide environment. Why? The key to creamy, tender custards is to cook them gently and precisely. This way the egg proteins, interacting with the milk and sugar, unfurl and set just so—not grainy and not too firm. On the stovetop, heat comes from the bottom of the pan, so you’re pretty much guaranteed to have uneven cooking when making custard. Constant whisking or stirring is required to ameliorate this problem. Plus, if the heat is too high, there is the risk of scorching, evaporation throwing off the ratio of the recipe, or curdling the custard. Sous vide is a hands-free solution. We found that the ideal temperature for light and creamy custards is 180 degrees Fahrenheit/82 degrees Celsius. We use this to great effect in our Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Crème Brûlée.
Puddings and cheesecake bites (you know, the kind without the crust) also do well sous vide. While chocolate pots de crème are traditionally cooked in ramekins arranged in a water bath in the oven, ours (this page) just go straight in to swim (in Mason jars, of course). After chilling in the refrigerator, we like to serve them with just a bit of flaked sea salt on top. Our Upside-Down Cheesecake Cups are also cooked in Mason jars in a water bath—and then topped with a crunchy graham cracker crumble for a little twist on the traditional approach. The starch in the rice for our Coconut Rice Pudding with Mango and Basil breaks down slowly and steadily with the gentle heat of sous vide, resulting in a supercreamy pudding.
Like vegetables, firm fruits benefit from the low, slow cooking of sous vide. In our Miso-Caramel Apple Crunch, we set about trying to create a warm apple dessert with firm but tender fruit, awash in the flavors of apple cider, brown sugar, warm spices, and miso (which adds a bit of umami nuttiness). Cooking the apples at 180°F/82°C allows us to keep them just below the temperature in which they completely break down. A peanut-oat topping adds a sophisticated crunch.
Most traditional recipes for poached pears call for simmering the fruit in a loose and syrupy base on the stovetop. We cook our Red Wine–Poached Pears sealed in a bag with a thick, reduced sauce—perfectly calibrated for the flavorful liquid released by the pears during cooking. For a little texture, we serve them with whipped sour cream and candied pistachios.
Our advice? When you invite people over for dinner and you tell them that you made sous vide cheesecake for dessert, savor the dubious expression on their faces. You are about to prove them so, so wrong.
YIELD 14 OUNCES (400 GRAMS)
Sous Vide Temperature 185°F/85°C
Sous Vide Time 12 to 16 hours
Active Cooking Time 20 minutes
To Make Ahead Dulce de leche can be refrigerated for up to 7 days.
Why This Recipe Works Dulce de leche translates to “sweet milk.” A staple of the Latin American pantry, it is used as a sweetener for candies, cakes, ice creams, cookies, churros, and as a topping for waffles and pancakes—even stirred straight into coffee. Traditionally, it is made by slowly cooking milk and sugar together for hours, until the mixture is light brown and possesses a caramel-like flavor. These days, most dulce de leche is made by cooking unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of boiling water or even in a pressure cooker. Textures vary from thick and fudgy to runny and smooth, but the principle remains the same: Heat accelerates the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars, that gives many foods their distinctive browned, cooked flavor. This reaction happens quickly at high temperatures (as with searing a steak) but also occurs at lower temperatures—as low as 150°F/65.5°C. At these lower temperatures, it just takes more time. We decided to take advantage of this low, slow reaction by cooking our dulce de leche sous vide. Our version cooks for 12 hours at 185°F/85°C. The benefit? You don’t have to worry about cooking a can lined with BPA, or, worse, risk having the can explode due to heat. And because we cook our dulce de leche in Mason jars, you can stir in whatever flavorings (vanilla, salt, cinnamon, just for starters) that you want before cooking. The seeds from a vanilla bean give the dulce de leche the deepest flavor, but 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract can be substituted. You will need one 16-ounce Mason jar for this recipe. Be careful not to overtighten the jar before placing it in the water bath; it can cause the glass to crack.
1 vanilla bean (2 grams)
1 14-ounce can (397 grams) sweetened condensed milk
¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
1 Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 185°F/85°C in 7-quart container.
2 Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds; reserve vanilla bean for another use. Combine vanilla seeds, condensed milk, and salt in 16-ounce Mason jar and seal; do not overtighten lid. Gently lower jar into water bath until fully submerged. Cover and cook for at least 12 hours or up to 16 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.
YIELD MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART (900 GRAMS)
Sous Vide Temperature 180°F/82°C
Sous Vide Time 1 to 1½ hours
Active Cooking Time 50 minutes, plus chilling and churning time
To Make Ahead Ice cream can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.
Why This Recipe Works When you think of sous vide cooking, ice cream is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. What does a hot water bath have to do with a frozen dessert? Well, before the freezing happens, an ice cream base often needs to be cooked. This cooking process denatures dairy proteins, which then capture free-roaming water in the base, resulting in smoother and less icy ice cream. Precise temperature control is important when cooking the base, especially with custard-based ice creams that include egg yolks. If the heat is too high, there is the risk of curdling the yolks. With sous vide, we eliminated potential problems and simplified the process. We just combined the ingredients and circulated them for an hour. We further combated iciness by incorporating nonfat milk powder and corn syrup, which help by trapping water in the base, thus preventing the formation of large ice crystals. The base is “cured” overnight in the refrigerator to give the dairy proteins more opportunities to capture water. A vanilla bean gives the ice cream the deepest flavor, but 2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla extract can be substituted. Be sure to double bag ice cream base to protect against seam failure. If using a canister-style ice cream maker, be sure to freeze the empty canister for at least 24 hours and preferably 48 hours before churning. For self-refrigerating ice cream makers, prechill the canister by running the machine for 10 minutes before pouring in the custard.
1 vanilla bean (2 grams)
1½ cups (375 grams) whole milk
1½ cups (375 grams) heavy cream
¾ cup (75 grams) nonfat dry milk powder
½ cup (100 grams) sugar
¼ cup (85 grams) light corn syrup
6 large egg yolks (90 grams)
¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
1 Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 180°F/82°C in 7-quart container.
2 Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds. Whisk vanilla bean and seeds, milk, cream, milk powder, sugar, corn syrup, egg yolks, and salt in large bowl until sugar has dissolved. Transfer mixture to 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 1-gallon freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until ice cream base is fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 1 hour or up to 1½ hours.
3 Fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Transfer zipper-lock bag to ice bath and let sit until chilled, about 30 minutes. Strain custard through fine-mesh strainer into airtight container; discard solids. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.
4 Churn custard in ice cream maker until mixture resembles thick soft serve ice cream and registers 21°F/–6°C. Transfer to clean airtight container and freeze until hard, at least 2 hours, before serving.
Variations
Substitute ¼ cup (20 grams) cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon (1 gram) instant espresso powder for vanilla bean.
Substitute 2 tablespoons (10 grams) Thai iced tea mix for vanilla bean.
YIELD SERVES 4
Sous Vide Temperature 180°F/82°C
Sous Vide Time 60 to 75 minutes
Active Cooking Time 40 minutes, plus resting and chilling time
Make Ahead Strategy Crème brûlée can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Why This Recipe Works While sous vide is not the answer for most baked desserts, it most definitely is when it comes to custard. Conventional custard recipes require care and attention with temperature-sensitive steps like tempering eggs with the hot dairy to avoid curdling and arranging a water bath in the oven. The precise temperature control of sous vide cooking makes custardy desserts like crème brûlée easier to execute. We whisked the base together, portioned it into Mason jars, and circulated for one hour. It was that easy. Once the custards finished cooking, we chilled them before the finale of a torched sugar topping. We found that crunchy turbinado sugar made for a satisfyingly crackly crust. A vanilla bean gives the crème brûlée the deepest flavor, but 1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract can be substituted. For the caramelized sugar crust, we recommend turbinado or Demerara sugar; regular granulated sugar will work, but use only 1 scant teaspoon (4 grams) for each Mason jar portion. You will need four 8-ounce widemouthed Mason jars and a kitchen torch for this recipe. Be careful not to overtighten the jars before placing them in the water bath; it can cause the glass to crack.
½ vanilla bean (1 gram)
2 cups (500 grams) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks (75 grams)
⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
Pinch salt
4 teaspoons (20 grams) turbinado or Demerara sugar
1 Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 180°F/82°C in 7-quart container.
2 Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds. Whisk vanilla bean and seeds, cream, egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt in bowl until sugar has dissolved. Strain custard through fine-mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup, then divide evenly among four 8-ounce widemouthed Mason jars. Gently tap jars on counter to remove any air bubbles, then seal; do not overtighten lids.
3 Gently lower jars into water bath until fully submerged. Cover and cook for at least 60 minutes or up to 75 minutes.
4 Transfer jars to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours.
5 Gently blot away condensation on top of custards using paper towels. Sprinkle each custard with 1 teaspoon (5 grams) turbinado sugar. Tilt and tap each jar to distribute sugar evenly, then wipe rims of jars clean. Ignite torch and caramelize sugar by sweeping flame of torch from perimeter of custard toward middle, keeping flame about 2 inches above jar, until sugar is bubbling and deep golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes to allow sugar crust to harden, then serve.
YIELD SERVES 6
Sous Vide Temperature 167°F/75°C
Sous Vide Time 60 to 75 minutes
Active Cooking Time 25 minutes, plus resting and chilling time
Make Ahead Strategy Pots de crème can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Why This Recipe Works We like to think of pots de crème as chocolate pudding that has studied abroad in France. It’s rich, decadent, and with the help of sous vide, supersimple to make. Traditional cooking methods call for managing ramekins in a water bath in the oven or carefully monitoring the temperature of a pot on the stovetop. With sous vide, all we needed to do was whip up our chocolate custard base (a small amount of instant espresso powder ensured deep chocolate flavor), divide it among Mason jars, and leave the jars in the water bath for one hour. Once they finished cooking, we chilled the pots de crème in the refrigerator, and then they were ready to go. We prefer pots de crème made with 60 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate (our favorite brands are Ghirardelli and Callebaut). You will need six 4-ounce widemouthed Mason jars for this recipe. Be careful not to overtighten the jars before placing them in the water bath; it can cause the glass to crack. Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and/or flake sea salt.
6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1¼ cups (310 grams) heavy cream
3 tablespoons (38 grams) sugar
¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) instant espresso powder
⅛ teaspoon (1 gram) salt
3 large egg yolks (45 grams)
1½ teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
1 Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 167°F/75°C in 7-quart container.
2 Microwave chocolate, cream, sugar, espresso powder, and salt in bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is thoroughly combined, 2 to 4 minutes. Whisk in egg yolks and vanilla until combined.
3 Strain chocolate mixture through fine-mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup, then divide evenly among six 4-ounce widemouthed Mason jars. Gently tap jars on counter to remove any air bubbles, then seal; do not overtighten lids.
4 Gently lower jars into water bath until fully submerged. Cover and cook for at least 60 minutes or up to 75 minutes.
5 Transfer jars to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. Let pots de crème sit at room temperature for 20 minutes and serve.
YIELD SERVES 8
Sous Vide Temperature 176°F/80°C
Sous Vide Time 60 to 75 minutes
Active Cooking Time 30 minutes, plus resting and chilling time
To Make Ahead Cheesecake cups can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Graham cracker crumble can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Why This Recipe Works Cheesecake is often a baking project reserved for special occasions. But we found that using sous vide (and Mason jars) turned this decadent cake into a streamlined dessert. Our upside-down cheesecake cups are everything we love about cheesecake without the hassle (plus cute little jars). The cheesecake base came together in a snap in the food processor; sour cream provided a little tang to balance out the sweetness of cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. We transformed the traditional graham cracker crust into a quick stovetop crumble topping. Sharing is optional. You will need eight 4-ounce widemouthed Mason jars for this recipe. Be careful not to overtighten the jars before placing them in the water bath; it can cause the glass to crack. Serve with fresh berries if desired.
3 whole graham crackers (45 grams), broken into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons (5 grams) plus ⅔ cup (140 grams) sugar
¼ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cinnamon
Salt
16 ounces (450 grams) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla extract
¼ cup (60 grams) sour cream
2 large eggs (110 grams), room temperature
1 Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 176°F/80°C in 7-quart container.
2 Pulse graham crackers in food processor to fine crumbs, about 15 pulses. Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, 1½ teaspoons (5 grams) sugar, cinnamon, and pinch salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer graham cracker topping to small bowl and set aside for serving.
3 Wipe food processor bowl clean. Process cream cheese, vanilla, ¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt, and remaining ⅔ cup (140 grams) sugar until combined, about 15 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sour cream and eggs and process until just incorporated, about 15 seconds; do not overprocess. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup, then divide evenly among eight 4-ounce widemouthed Mason jars. Gently tap jars on counter to remove any air bubbles, then seal; do not overtighten lids.
4 Gently lower jars into water bath until fully submerged. Cover and cook for at least 60 minutes or up to 75 minutes.
5 Transfer jars to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. Let cheesecake cups sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, then sprinkle with graham cracker topping and serve.
Coconut Rice Pudding with Mango and Basil
YIELD SERVES 6
Sous Vide Temperature 200°F/93°C
Sous Vide Time 1½ hours to 2 hours
Active Cooking Time 25 minutes
To Make Ahead Pudding can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Why This Recipe Works Rice pudding is a classic dessert. Versions of this dish exist in nearly every part of the world—probably because it’s so easy to make. All you need to do is cook rice, liquid, and sugar until the mixture is nice and soft and you’re good to go. Rice is rich in starch that, when broken down, forms a gel in solution—and that translates to a creamy pudding. But since most rice puddings get cooked on the stovetop, there is a fair bit of intuition involved in nailing the perfect consistency. Stir too little and your pudding ends up lumpy. Use too much heat and you risk overreducing your pudding and scorching your saucepan. The amount of evaporation varies depending on the size of your pot, meaning the finished texture can vary. Making rice pudding sous vide removes all of the guesswork. There’s no evaporation, resulting in a consistent texture every time. And because we were not cooking on the stovetop, there was no need to stir nonstop until the very end. We went with a Thai-inspired flavor profile that’s heavy on coconut with a touch of ginger and cardamom. To give this dessert some crunch and variety, we topped our pudding with plenty of toasted coconut flakes, mango, and some fresh basil. Be sure to double bag the rice mixture to protect against seam failure.
2 cups (500 grams) whole milk
1 14-ounce can (400 grams) coconut milk
½ cup (100 grams) sugar
2 teaspoons (10 grams) vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) ground ginger
½ cup (100 grams) long-grain white rice
1 mango (284 grams), peeled, pitted, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
¾ cup (60 grams) sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
¼ cup (2 grams) shredded fresh basil
1 Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 200°F/93°C in 7-quart container.
2 Whisk milk, coconut milk, sugar, vanilla, salt, cardamom, and ginger in bowl until sugar has dissolved. Transfer milk mixture and rice to 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until rice is fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 1½ hours or up to 2 hours.
3 Transfer rice mixture to bowl and stir vigorously to break up any lumps of rice; discard any lumps that remain. Cover surface of pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours.
4 Stir pudding to recombine. Sprinkle individual portions with mango, coconut, and basil and serve.
YIELD SERVES 4 TO 6
Sous Vide Temperature 180°F/82°C
Sous Vide Time 30 to 45 minutes
Active Cooking Time 40 minutes
To Make Ahead Topping can be stored for up to 2 days. Apples can be rapidly chilled in ice bath (see this page) and then refrigerated after step 4 for up to 2 days. To reheat, return zipper-lock bag to water bath set to 180°F/82°C for 15 minutes; proceed with step 5.
Why This Recipe Works Baked apples often end up mushy and overly sweet. We wanted to create a warm apple dessert with fruit that retained some of its texture and savory notes that balanced the sweetness. The strength and structure of pectin is the chief factor contributing to apple texture. As a general rule, the firmer the raw apple, the better it will retain its texture during cooking. We decided to use Granny Smith apples because along with their firm texture, they are high in calcium and acidity, which both reinforce pectin and allow the apples to hold up to cooking. Pectin begins to rapidly break down at 183°F/84°C, so we decided to cook our apples at 180°F/82°C, which allowed them to soften slightly without turning them to mush. Adding a mixture of apple cider, brown sugar, warm spices, and miso to the bag provided a bit of background umami notes. After cooking the apples, we emulsified butter into the cooking liquid to create a rich sauce. A simple peanut-oat topping provided a crunchy contrast to the apples. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Be sure to double bag the apples to protect against seam failure. Apples have a tendency to float when placed in a sous vide water bath, which can lead to uneven cooking. Use weights to make sure the apples are fully immersed during cooking (see this page).
Topping
½ cup (80 grams) unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
¼ cup packed (50 grams) light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon (1.5 grams) salt
⅛ teaspoon (0.5 grams) ground nutmeg
5 tablespoons (70 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¾ cup (80 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons (28 grams) honey
Apples
½ cup (112 grams) apple cider
¼ cup packed (50 grams) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons (50 grams) white miso
¼ teaspoon (0.5 grams) ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 Granny Smith apples (200 grams each), peeled, cored, and halved
4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 For the topping Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375°F/190°C. Pulse peanuts, flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in food processor until peanuts are finely chopped, about 10 pulses. Drizzle melted butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles crumbly wet sand, about 5 pulses. Add oats and honey and pulse until evenly incorporated, about 3 pulses.
2 Spread oat mixture evenly over parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet. Pinch mixture between your fingers into small pea-size pieces (some small loose bits are okay). Bake until golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking; set aside for serving.
3 For the apples Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 180°F/82°C in 7-quart container.
4 Whisk cider, sugar, miso, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in small bowl. Transfer mixture and apples to 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 1-gallon freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath, weight bag (this page) until apples are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 30 minutes or up to 45 minutes.
5 Using tongs, transfer apples to plate and tent with aluminum foil. Transfer cooking liquid to small saucepan, bring to simmer over medium heat, and cook until reduced to ½ cup, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in butter, one piece at a time, until fully incorporated. Transfer apples to individual serving bowls, spoon sauce over top, and sprinkle with peanut-oat topping. Serve.
Red Wine–Poached Pears with Whipped Sour Cream and Candied Pistachios
Red Wine–Poached Pears with Whipped Sour Cream and Candied Pistachios
YIELD SERVES 6
Sous Vide Temperature 176°F/80°C
Sous Vide Time 30 to 60 minutes
Active Cooking Time 30 minutes, plus resting and chilling time
To Make Ahead Pears can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Why This Recipe Works Old school is still cool. And when it comes to desserts, there are few dishes more retro than poached pears. This French dessert features just-ripe pears poached gently in an intensely sweet, boozy syrup. Served hot or cold, the fruit practically melts in your mouth, perfect with ice cream or crème fraîche. Typically, most recipes call for simmering pears in a loose, syrupy base. But stovetop simmering often results in mushy, overcooked fruit. Instead we started with a spicy red-wine sauce, which we add to the bag to cook with the pears sous vide. At 176°F/80°C, pectin breaks down at a moderate rate, which guarantees just-tender pears that aren’t mushy. But cooking pears sous vide releases a lot of water, and because there was no evaporation in our cooking method, the syrup ended up watery and diluted. To compensate, we reduced our cooking liquid significantly at the beginning, so that the liquid released from the pears rehydrated the syrup to the perfect consistency. Since everything is in a bag already, it’s easy to chill everything down. All you have to do is open the bag and serve. To give this dessert some textural contrast, we made a simple pistachio brittle. Some whipped sour cream added a bit of tang. Use a good-quality medium-bodied wine, such as a Côtes du Rhône or Pinot Noir, for this recipe. Be sure to double bag the pears to protect against seam failure. Pears have a tendency to float when placed in a sous vide water bath, which can lead to uneven cooking. Use weights to make sure the pears are fully immersed during cooking (see this page).
Pears
1 vanilla bean (2 grams)
1 bottle (750 milliliters/750 grams) dry red wine
¾ cup (149 grams) sugar
½ teaspoon (2 grams) black peppercorns, cracked
6 whole cloves (1 gram)
1 cinnamon stick (3 grams)
⅛ teaspoon (1 gram) salt
6 ripe but firm Bosc or Bartlett pears (about 113 grams each), peeled, halved, and cored
Candied Pistachios
½ cup (65 grams) pistachios, chopped coarse
3 tablespoons (38 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon (18 grams) honey
Whipped Sour Cream
¼ cup (56 grams) heavy cream
1 tablespoon (12 grams) sugar
¼ cup (60 grams) sour cream
1 For the pears Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 176°F/80°C in 7-quart container.
2 Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds. Bring vanilla bean and seeds, wine, sugar, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, and salt to simmer in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to ⅔ cup (180 grams), about 20 minutes. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into bowl; discard solids. Let mixture cool slightly, about 2 minutes.
3 Place pears and wine mixture in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath, weight bag (this page) until pears are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bag. Cover and cook for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
4 Transfer bag with pears to plate and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until chilled, about 4 hours.
5 For the candied pistachios Lightly grease rimmed baking sheet. Combine pistachios, sugar, and honey in 8-inch nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pistachios are fragrant and sugar has melted and is light golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Off heat, stir mixture until pistachios are evenly coated with caramel, then quickly transfer to prepared sheet. Spread into thin, even layer and let cool completely, about 10 minutes. Break pistachios into bite-size pieces.
6 For the whipped sour cream Combine cream, sugar, and pinch (0.5 grams) salt in bowl. Using whisk, whip cream mixture to stiff peaks, 3 to 4 minutes. Whisk in sour cream until just combined.
7 Divide pears and syrup among individual serving bowls. Dollop whipped sour cream over top and sprinkle with candied pistachios.
