There are restaurant meals that stay with you. A sous-vide chicken leg I ate at the Livesey Arms in Ludborough, Lincolnshire, was one of them — impossibly moist and deeply seasoned, with a tenderness that had no business coming from a chicken leg. I asked the waiter how it was cooked. The answer was sous-vide.
Sous-vide is a French technique — naturally — in which food is sealed in a bag and cooked slowly in a temperature-controlled water bath. The results are remarkable: meat that retains every drop of its moisture while taking on whatever seasoning you have packed around it. The problem is the equipment. A decent sous-vide machine will set you back well over 200€, and that is before you have bought anything to eat.
Cauliflower and potato mash with Parmesan, and the chicken breast rolled and ready — Casa Adora
This cheap sous-vide method costs nothing, provided you already own a large pan and a roll of food-grade cling film — the kind marked suitable for microwave use. The principle is the same: gentle, sustained heat; sealed environment; and unhurried cooking. The result at Casa Adora has been consistently good, and the sous-vide chicken breast I made here — seasoned with salt, pepper, and a pinch of chilli flakes and served with a cauliflower and potato mash and a green peppercorn sauce — was as good as anything I have eaten in a restaurant.
The technique works with chicken, fish, and other proteins. Master it once and you will use it again.
A Note on the Cling Film
Not all cling film is suitable for this method. Use only food-grade cling film marked as suitable for microwave use — it will withstand the heat of a gentle simmer without breaking down. Roll the chicken tightly, twist the ends firmly, and make sure there are no gaps. What you are after is a neat, watertight parcel — the "sausage" shape you can see in the photo. It sounds fiddly. It is not.
Sous-Vide Chicken Breast with Green Peppercorn Sauce
Sous-vide chicken breast with green peppercorn sauce — Casa Adora
Serves 1 generously
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 large skinless chicken breast
- Salt and black pepper
- A pinch of dried chilli flakes
- Food-grade cling film
Cauliflower and Potato Mash
- ½ small cauliflower, broken into florets
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- A generous knob of butter
- Parmesan, freshly grated
- Salt and black pepper
Green Peppercorn Sauce
- 150 ml light chicken stock
- 100 ml double cream
- 1 tbsp green peppercorns in brine, drained
- Salt to taste
Method
Chicken
- Season the chicken breast generously with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of chilli flakes on all sides.
- Lay out a double layer of food-grade cling film. Place the chicken breast at one end and roll tightly into a sausage shape, twisting the ends firmly to seal. There should be no gaps.
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer — a slow, steady plop rather than a rolling boil.
- Lower the wrapped chicken into the water and leave undisturbed for 25–30 minutes, depending on the size of the breast.
- Remove carefully with tongs and place on a chopping board. Allow to rest for 2–3 minutes before unwrapping — the trapped liquid will be very hot.
- Unwrap and slice to serve.
Cauliflower and Potato Mash
- Boil the cauliflower florets and diced potato together in salted water until completely tender. Drain well.
- Mash together with a generous knob of butter until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer to a gratin dish, top with freshly grated Parmesan, and finish in a hot oven (200°C) for 10–15 minutes until the top is golden and catching at the edges.
Green Peppercorn Sauce
- Pour the chicken stock into a small saucepan over medium heat and reduce by half.
- Add the cream and green peppercorns. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Season with salt and serve immediately.
To serve: This sous-vide chicken breast with green peppercorn sauce is best served immediately — spoon the mash onto the plate, slice the chicken breast and arrange it alongside, and pour the sauce generously over the top.
Footnote:
This sous vide chicken breast recipe is part of my Chicken Recipes collection — over forty chicken dishes from Casa Adora and the campervan.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef
Well, as a Frenchie, I'm not really surprised that once in a while we're able to invent something useful. We're not just pretty faces 🙂 Glad to know it's a French invention btw cos' I did not know it. Thanks for that Phil ! Anyway, I very often buy sous vide stuff but now I intend to try your method to make my own sous vide meals.