Here is one of the bonuses of my new job – testing pre-production equipment. Tonight I used the Vesta Imersa immersion circulator to make a sous vide chicken cacciatore.

Yep, you read that right and the process was simple. I placed the sauce ingredients into a large recloseable bag with a valve, suctioned the air out, and cooked it in the water bath at 185F for at least 6 hours. After the 6 hours (or more), I lowered the temperature of the water bath to 145F in order to cook the chicken.

Here is a pro tip – adding ice to the water bath will bring the temperature down to the target. I placed a chicken breast in a small recloseable bag with the desired spices and seasonings, a drizzle of olive oil and a pat of butter, and some balsamic vinegar. Seal and vacuum the air out through the valve before placing it into the water bath for 1 to 4 hours. Once cooked, it was simple to finish – cook some fresh linguine, remove the chicken from the bag and top with cheese (I like the 3 Italian cheese blend – Parmesan, Asiago, and Romano) before broiling until the cheese melts and browns slightly. Plate the linguine, ladle some sauce over top, add the chicken breast, and garnish with roughly chopped Italian parsley and additional cheese if desired.

How were the results you ask? The results were simply delicious. The chicken was moist and juicy and subtly flavored with the spices and balsamic. The tomato sauce was that perfect blend of sweet and vegetal, again with the spices adding a nice subtle flavoring. One bonus of this dish – leftover tomato sauce for another meal later in the week. Since the chicken was cooked outside the sauce and it contained no meat, it is versatile for whatever I desire.

Now wasn’t that easy and fun?

P.S. Doesn’t this immersion circulator look sexy? It worked like a charm too!