The fascination of V-ZUG
Sous-vide, a method in which food is cooked slowly in vacuum-sealed bags, is a recipe for success that guarantees exceptional taste experiences. Popular in haute cuisine for many years, the world of sous-vide cooking is now being brought into private kitchens by V-ZUG with a product known as Vacuisine. Designed in collaboration with top Swiss chefs, Vacuisine combines brand new culinary knowledge with inspiration for a modern, healthy lifestyle.
Sous-vide: taste the difference
Top chefs swear by this technique, and now more and more food lovers are starting to use it at home: sous-vide – known as Vacuisine at V-ZUG – creates taste experiences which cannot be achieved with any other cooking method.
Exceptional culinary experiences at Michelin-starred restaurants are down to both the skill of top chefs and often also to the use of special cooking methods. The sous-vide technique involves sealing ingredients in special vacuum bags and then cooking them slowly at temperatures of between 30 and 100°C. Thanks to the protective shell, the food’s natural flavour, attractive colour and texture are better preserved, as are valuable nutrients. It is a gentle cooking method which not only enables an incomparable taste experience but is also healthier.
Culinary experts have called this the most spectacular cooking innovation of the last 35 years.
Developed in France in the 1970s, sous-vide has gradually become established in the restaurant industry. Until recently, however, the technique was often too time-consuming and complicated for use in private kitchens. Vacuisine was developed by V-ZUG in collaboration with top Swiss chefs Tanja Grandits, Andreas Caminada, Stefan Meier and Philippe Rochat, and the result means that ambitious amateur chefs can now cook top-level cuisine in their homes as well.
Sous-vide at home – how Vacuisine works
Be it a high-quality piece of meat or an ordinary side dish, Vacuisine and a host of helpful tips from professionals turn every ingredient into a feast, even the most basic foods. The following film gives you an insight into cooking a dessert made with sliced apples.
Take one combi-steamer and one vacuum drawer
Pure sophistication: with a combi-steamer and the new vacuum drawer from V-ZUG, you have everything you need for sous-vide cooking in your own kitchen.
Cooking in a vacuum requires constant and extremely precise temperature control. V-ZUG's
state-of-the-art combi-steam cookers are the ideal solution: all you need to do is set the right cooking
temperature and time in the Vacuisine application, which has been specifically developed for this purpose.
The appliance guarantees a highly precise steam temperature throughout the entire cooking process for up to
48 hours – and you don't even need to refill the water tank. Unique and exclusive to V-ZUG: Cooking in a
vacuum bag can now be monitored using a food probe.
The new V-ZUG sealing pad enables you to insert the food
probe through the vacuum bag and into the meat without losing the vacuum, allowing you to keep everything under
control and know exactly when the food probe temperature is reached.
With Vacuisine, you can relax and devote
your attention to your guests, as you can serve the food up to an hour after the food probe temperature has
been reached without any reduction in quality.
The new Vacuisine brochure, packed with inspiring recipes and cooking charts, is designed to help you enjoy unforgettable taste sensations.
The V-ZUG vacuum drawer is doubly useful.
V-ZUG now offers the perfect appliance for vacuum-sealing meals before cooking, too. The high-quality vacuum drawer is easy to use and fits perfectly with your combi-steamer from an optical perspective. Incidentally, vacuum-sealing is not only ideal for gentle cooking; it can also be used for storing food. In comparison with other preservation methods, vacuum-sealed foods can be stored more successfully and for a longer time, regardless of whether they are raw or cooked. Three pre-defined vacuum levels ensure that meals are vacuum-sealed correctly – liquids at level 1, for example, and frozen food at level 3.
With the new external vacuum sealing function, V-ZUG has expanded the range of applications available for the vacuum drawer. You can now vacuum seal even wine bottles and reusable vacuum containers using the supplied accessories set.
A pleasing appearance
Space-saving, elegant and without a handle in sight: the new vacuum drawer by V-ZUG is the perfect complement to a modern and healthy lifestyle. Discover all the key information on the appliance here.
Getting started
V-ZUG provides practical step-by-step instructions for cooking a selection of dishes. Explanations and pictures will help you get started with Vacuisine, ensuring that your first meals will be a success.
Step-by-step instructions for cooking sole with Vacuisine
These instructions show you how to correctly prepare, vacuum-seal, cook and debone sole – one of the most popular types of fish – using Vacuisine.
Step 1
If the sole has not been pre-prepared, the first step is to skin it then remove the head and tail fin.
Step 2
Cut off the thin fins at the sides with a pair of fish scissors. They can also be pressed off with a sharp knife.
Step 3
Season the sole, place it in the bag and vacuum-seal it, then cook it in the combi-steamer in accordance with the specifications in the cooking chart. One option is to season the fish lightly with a little salt and pepper and then vacuum-seal it in the bag together with some black olives. This will give the sole a very intense flavour.
Step 4
Once it is cooked, take the sole out of the bag, dry it and then debone it, which involves separating the bones from the fillets. It is important to use a spoon for this to ensure that the fillets remain whole and keep their nice shape. The fish consists of four fillets. First, separate the top two fillets with the spoon by pushing them outwards from the centre. Then carefully remove the bones from the bottom two fillets. Now the fish is ready to be served.
Vacuisine© – the result of an exclusive collaboration
V-ZUG is bringing sous-vide cooking into the home in close collaboration with a team of top Swiss chefs. Vacuisine’s simplicity and excellent results surprised even the professionals.
To cook vacuum-sealed dishes, top-level kitchens originally used a variety of bain-maries at temperatures accurate to the nearest degree. The results were first class, but the cooking process was very complicated, requiring not only expensive and bulky machines but also the expertise of a top chef, making the use of this technique inconceivable for private households. The possibilities offered by modern combi-steamers gave V-ZUG the idea of simplifying this ingenious cooking method so that it could also be used in private kitchens.
Vacuisine makes it possible to cook a broad variety of dishes to Michelin-starred standards with a minimum of effort.
The idea was honed in collaboration with multi-award-winning Swiss chefs Tanja Grandits, Andreas Caminada, Stefan Meier and Philippe Rochat. Their expertise was combined with V-ZUG’s technological excellence during numerous discussions, presentations, tests and tasting sessions. The result is called Vacuisine and includes recipes tried and tested by top chefs, practical instructions and cooking charts – something which had largely been lacking for sous-vide cooking until now. Working together, the team created new culinary knowledge which will not only inspire ambitious amateur chefs but gives new insights even to the professionals.
Cooking charts – the possibilities are endless
Play it safe with cooking charts: optimum values for temperature and cooking time as well as a host of useful tips on preparation for numerous foods from artichokes to zander will make your dishes a guaranteed success.
Confit of saddle of lamb
Spoil your guests like Andreas Caminada – he has summarised his exquisite creations in special Vacuisine recipes. Today the chef recommends confit of saddle of lamb with tomatoes, red pepper confit and harissa.
Sumac-glazed zander
Tanja Grandits sets standards in the culinary world in terms of both flavours and colours. Try out an impressive sample of her work by following her recipes, such as sumac-glazed zander with rose beetroots in a sour cherry salsa.
Step-by-step instructions for cooking artichokes with Vacuisine
These instructions show you how to correctly prepare and cook artichoke bottoms – for instance as a delicious accompaniment to fish or risotto – using Vacuisine.
Step 1
Get everything ready: artichokes, water with ascorbic acid (vitamin C, which is available at pharmacies) and the right tools – a serrated knife, a melon baller and a peeler.
Step 2
First break off the artichoke’s stem. Breaking it off pulls out the fibres from the artichoke bottom, which would not be the case if you were to cut it with a knife.
Step 3
Place the serrated knife on the bottom quarter of the vegetable and cut off the artichoke bottom. N.B.: A serrated knife (bread knife) will not slip, thus reducing the risk of injury. Then carefully pare the outer part with the peeler until the artichoke bottom has a nice round shape.
Step 4
Carefully scrape out the fibres with the melon baller. To prevent the artichoke bottom from oxidising and going brown, it should always be placed in the bowl of water and ascorbic acid between the individual steps.
Step 5
Vacuum-seal the artichoke bottom in a bag with a mixture of one-third each of salted water, white wine and olive oil as well as herbs and garlic and cook it according to the instructions in the cooking chart.
V-ZUG gives you a taste of Vacuisine©
Special Vacuisine cooking courses and demonstrations teach you everything you need to know about sous-vide cooking. V-ZUG reveals the tricks that professionals use and explains how you can amaze your guests.
Whether you’re a newcomer to sous-vide or already an expert, these special cooking courses and demonstrations will give you ideas for new culinary explorations. V-ZUG experts guide you through the fascinating world of vacuum-sealing and sous-vide cooking and inspire you to experiment with ingredients and possibilities. Watch the professionals at work during the cooking demonstrations or get stuck into some cooking yourself on one of the courses – it goes without saying that you will have a chance to enjoy the food that has been cooked at the end of every event.
Sign up
During our Vacuisine cooking courses and demonstrations, you will learn in a relaxed atmosphere how to add a pinch of haute cuisine to your cooking. We look forward to welcoming you at a V-ZUG event.
A foretaste of the Vacuisine cooking course
Learn new skills, chat, be inspired and enjoy incomparable food – this film gives you a foretaste of the Vacuisine cooking courses by V-ZUG.
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