Sous-vide cooking is similar to poaching and is a method of low heat cooking using a water and steam bath in which food sealed in plastic or glass canning jars is submerged to cook slowly.  While there are special devices and “ovens” designed to maintain specific temperatures  (55 to 60°C /131 to 140 °F), it can be performed through the use of a water bath held at the appropriate temperature, a well calibrated source of heat, a sealed container (typically a plastic bag from which the air has been vacated or a mason jar), and a thermometer and timer. This method retains the moisture and flavors in the cooked foods and prevents overcooking.

The low temperature of sous vide cooks gently enough to prevent the destruction of the cell walls, in the case of vegetables, or the proteins in meat, but rather, melts (hydrolyzes) the collagen, thus tenderizing the meat.  In addition, foods are pasteurized and flavors can be infused easily.

First pioneered in England as a method for food preservation in the late 18^th using heated air, sous-vide cooking was further developed in the mid-20^th century for use in industrial food packaging, but smaller-scale use was significantly made by Georges Pralus at Restaurant Troisgros, Roanne, France.  Making the method more widely useable, scientist, Bruno Goussault with Cuisine Solutions determined accurate operational methodology which resulted in specific temperatures and cooking times for many foods.