Under Pressure: Cooking Sous Vide

Chef Thomas Keller, one of America’s most iconic chefs, brought sous vide to the masses when he published this culinary bookshelf essential in 2008.

In his introduction to the book, eminent food-science writer Harold McGee sets up the value proposition of the sous vide method, declaring: “Heat is the most important ingredient in cooking.” It’s a lesson Chef Keller learned early on in his career, in the mid-80’s, having made use of vacuum-sealed techniques to cook vegetables and better preserve foie gras at Rakel, the restaurant he co-owned in Manhattan.

Under Pressure shares Keller’s curious and studious path to cooking sous vide, and the reader tags along for the journey, sharing in the sense of discovery. While the book covers all that you need to know—sous vide fundamentals and food safety, for example—it is largely devoted to sharing never-before-published recipes from his famed restaurants The French Laundry and per se.

A treat for the senses, it features lush photography by Deborah Jones, who photographed Keller’s best-selling The French Laundry Cookbook.