Experimenting with ultrasonic cavitation

[Robert Jueneman]

I recently acquired a Branson B5510DTH ultrasonic cleaner, primarily to make the starch-infused, triple-cooked, vacuum chamber cooled, ultrasonic cavitation-assisted superlative French fries featured in Modernist Cuisine. The first attempt at using the device, although time-consuming, resulted in absolutely superlative fries -- the best by far we have ever eaten.

But at a little over $1000, it's a rather expensive appliance -- I figure that the first batch of fires cost $75 a fry! So I'm looking for other applications to justify the cost.

The SonicsOnline web site (where I bought the Branson) also lists a very interesting device, the Sampson Multi-Purpose washer, for only $399. I wish I had seen it before I bought the Branson. Cf. http://www.sonicsonline.com/ultrasonic-food-cleaner-3d-soul-system.html

The Sampson is a 3.4 gal device that is intended for washing/disinfecting various fruits and vegetables, including such things as corn, lettuce, broccoli, etc.. It uses three different elements to do that -- a thin nano-coating of silver to kill germs, an ozone generator to provide additional disinfection, and an ultrasonic sweep-frequency from 30 kHz to 50kHz to dislodge soil and other nasties -- even from your toothbrush or hairbrush. The reduction claimed for various pathogens, including E coli, was impressive -- it basically reduced them to zero. These days, the incidence of various pathogens in fruits and vegetables, as well as the potentially toxic chemicals used to preserve them, makes such an approach very attractive.

Now, I don't know if the Branson will do as well, without the silver and the ozone. But I suspect that dropping a couple of quarters in the disinfecting solution, as well as a tiny bit of hydrogen peroxide, might do just just as well, and it would save me from buying yet another appliance!

Does anyone on this list have any experience with the Sampson device, or this technique? A Google search show that Hammacher-Schlemmer used to sell a similar device that was made in Germany, but it is no longer available.

[EnriqueB]

So I'm looking for other applications to justify the cost.

Apart from cleaning your watches, remember that they are also used in MC for enhancing flavor extraction in vegetable stocks or truffle butter. Last week I tried to used mine (a small model) to enhance flavor extraction in prawn butter, but the crushed prawn shells broke the SV bag and could not finish the test.

[Chris Hennes]

I'd love to see the results of other items cavitated and then deep fried, actually. The point of the cavitation in the fries is to rough up the potato surface a bit, right? What else might that be beneficial for?

[Robert Jueneman]

I'd love to see the results of other items cavitated and then deep fried, actually. The point of the cavitation in the fries is to rough up the potato surface a bit, right? What else might that be beneficial for?

Interesting question, and I don't know.

As I understand it, the point of cavitation WRT French fries is to roughen the surface to that the potato starch can penetrate and adhere better.

Might that apply to other ingredients, e.g., things that are often cooked with a batter? Maybe fried fish?

That's why I'm posting -- looking for ideas, and suggestions!

[Robert Jueneman]

So I'm looking for other applications to justify the cost.

Apart from cleaning your watches, remember that they are also used in MC for enhancing flavor extraction in vegetable stocks or truffle butter. Last week I tried to used mine (a small model) to enhance flavor extraction in prawn butter, but the crushed prawn shells broke the SV bag and could not finish the test.

Yes, I am aware of the possible uses for vegetable and sea food stocks, although those aren't very high on my list at present.

I've ordered a solid tray to be used with the Branson -- perhaps it would eliminate the need for a SV bag, if the stock could be concentrated in that tray?

[Chris Hennes]

Or fried chicken? What if you zapped some chicken wings and then tossed them with an UltraCrisp-type product?

[Robert Jueneman]

My collection of magic powders doesn't include any Ultra-Crisp. I guess I'll have to get some and try it.

Or what about adding the potato starch technique to other veggies, like asparagus, or brussel spouts, and deep frying them?

In fact, I think I'll try the asparagus tonight, along with steak and lobster for a stay-at-home Valentine's Day dinner!

I wonder -- should the asparagus be pre-cooked sous vide, then coated, then fried, or even fried twice -- just like a French fry?

I saw some nice big, fat asparagus at the store yesterday, so they are about the same size as a steak fry. So maybe the same recipe would work?

[Msk]

When I see cavitation, I also think Nitrous-isi flavor extraction. Are these waves to "gentle" for this purpose?

Mike

[Robert Jueneman]

When I see cavitation, I also think Nitrous-isi flavor extraction. Are these waves to "gentle" for this purpose?

Mike

The iSi flavor extraction works by forcing the nitrogen into the plant or other cells, and then when the pressure is released suddenly, the cell walls are violently disrupted, and release their flavors into the surrounding liquid.

Cavitation could conceivably do the same thing, and that is presumably how the seafood and vegetable stock preparation in MC works.

The relative efficacy of both techniques would be an interesting comparison.

[Robert Jueneman]

Last night I tried using the starch-infused ultrasonic method of to coat some asparagus. I used a batter from MC, with potato starch, flour and rice flour, mixed with water and malt vinegar. I inadvertently omitted the egg yolk that was called for.

I put the batter in a SV bag along with the asparagus, cavitated it for 45 minutes on a side, and then vacuum dried it.

Then into the deep fryer for about 3 minutes at 395F.

The results were OK, but not spectacular. I don't think the cavitation opened up the tiny cracks that you see with a potato, and the batter was a bit thin and didn't stick very well, in addition to dripping all over the bottom of the chamber vacuum.

Tasted OK, but not worth the effort.

[Chris Hennes]

Did you peel the asparagus?

[Chris Hennes]

Well, I can't see the cavitation opening up crevices in the hard outer skin of the asparagus. I was thinking that it might work better if it was working on the softer tissues of the interior.

[Robert Jueneman]

Good point. Maybe I'll try it again. I generally don't peel asparagus -- maybe I should.

[Msk]

It would also be interesting to test, a combination of vacuum-infusion with cavitation (assuming the flavor base you are trying to extract is porous enough)

An exmaple.

Lets say you wanted to infuse alcohol with apple (totally arbitrary example but knowing apple is relatively porous-which helps)

1) Sliced apple into vacuum bag with alcohol

2) Seal and vacuum (liquid now replaces air inside spple tiny pores)

3) Cavitate

Ive often wondered if this would improve isi cavitation as well.

Mike

[Robert Jueneman]

Well, I can't see the cavitation opening up crevices in the hard outer skin of the asparagus. I was thinking that it might work better if it was working on the softer tissues of the interior.

I tried peeling the asparagus first, then applying frying batter made with potato flour, flour, and rice flour, together with water and malt vinegar, and one egg yolk, then cavitating, drying, and frying.

But the batter didn't stick to the asparagus at all well, and left a lot of batter at the bottom of the deep fryer.

The taste was OK, but not worth the work, and the clean-up afterwards.

[kleinebre]

I haven't read MC but I did read an article or two about the ultrasonic fries and cavitation. It occurred to me that the starch and cavities on the surface of the fries would be rather similar to a miniature version of the texture one would expect from prawn crackers... which can be made by steaming, drying and frying a starch batter.

Based on this, I put together a home-cook recipe for quadruple cooked fries, similar to HB's triple-cooked chips but with a few vital differences.

- Maris pipers are cut to size but NOT "rinsed until water runs clear" as starch is what makes purely starch-based snacks such as prawn crackers and cheese puffs crispy; therefore, we want to keep the starch, rather than discard it. (Note; where some recipes state that starch makes things - such as fried fish - chewy, this is typically the result of developed gluten in wheat flour).
- The cut, raw chips are then lightly dusted with potato starch; if you wish, you can try to figure out how to extract your own starch from potato but I opted for manufactured potato starch; Consider this a cheat if you want, but ultimately, my chips recipe still contains nothing but potato.
- Dusted chips are then steamed (rather than boiled) to keep moisture content low and to keep flavour inside the potatoes; Note that this will also turn any surface starch (which should be kept rather limited) to a glue-like consistency; Note that they'll be VERY sticky and hard to handle without breaking at this point (i.e. they'll be too unpractical to make them in any commercial quantity).
- Chips are then microwaved for 1-2 minutes, re-arranged and re-microwaved to get rid of excess moisture. In the original HB 3xCooked chips recipe, a vacuum chamber is used. TBFD cookbook states that prior to this, HB used a microwave but the results were inconsistent; the re-arranging and re-microwaving helps to obtain more consistent results.
- Once cooled down, the chips are deep-fried in oil in small batches, first at 130C oil, placed on kitchen towel to drain the oil, then re-fried at 180C (for timings, consult TBFD cookbook).

- And finally, seasoned with sea salt and immediately served.

During frying, the steamed surface starch will behave like prawn crackers and the water contained by it will create tiny steam pockets, which -as they burst-, I result in cavities which should be rather similar to the cavitation obtained with an ultrasonic cleaner.

Main difference being that one doesn't need any fancy equipment for superlative fries (the best I've had, anyway). I live at driveable distance from the Crown at Bray (owned by HB), and the above recipe results in fries/chips which are IMNSHO at least as good as those served at mentioned establishment.

I'd recommend refrigerating the pre-fried chips before the final 180C fry, but not to freeze as (IMO) this negatively impacts the texture of the fries, making them have a more starchy mouth feel than fries that have never been frozen.

[HowardLi]

I haven't read MC but I did read an article or two about the ultrasonic fries and cavitation. It occurred to me that the starch and cavities on the surface of the fries would be rather similar to a miniature version of the texture one would expect from prawn crackers... which can be made by steaming, drying and frying a starch batter.

Based on this, I put together a home-cook recipe for quadruple cooked fries, similar to HB's triple-cooked chips but with a few vital differences.

- Maris pipers are cut to size but NOT "rinsed until water runs clear" as starch is what makes purely starch-based snacks such as prawn crackers and cheese puffs crispy; therefore, we want to keep the starch, rather than discard it. (Note; where some recipes state that starch makes things - such as fried fish - chewy, this is typically the result of developed gluten in wheat flour).

- The cut, raw chips are then lightly dusted with potato starch; if you wish, you can try to figure out how to extract your own starch from potato but I opted for manufactured potato starch; Consider this a cheat if you want, but ultimately, my chips recipe still contains nothing but potato.

- Dusted chips are then steamed (rather than boiled) to keep moisture content low and to keep flavour inside the potatoes; Note that this will also turn any surface starch (which should be kept rather limited) to a glue-like consistency; Note that they'll be VERY sticky and hard to handle without breaking at this point (i.e. they'll be too unpractical to make them in any commercial quantity).

- Chips are then microwaved for 1-2 minutes, re-arranged and re-microwaved to get rid of excess moisture. In the original HB 3xCooked chips recipe, a vacuum chamber is used. TBFD cookbook states that prior to this, HB used a microwave but the results were inconsistent; the re-arranging and re-microwaving helps to obtain more consistent results.

- Once cooled down, the chips are deep-fried in oil in small batches, first at 130C oil, placed on kitchen towel to drain the oil, then re-fried at 180C (for timings, consult TBFD cookbook).

- And finally, seasoned with sea salt and immediately served.

During frying, the steamed surface starch will behave like prawn crackers and the water contained by it will create tiny steam pockets, which -as they burst-, I result in cavities which should be rather similar to the cavitation obtained with an ultrasonic cleaner.

Main difference being that one doesn't need any fancy equipment for superlative fries (the best I've had, anyway). I live at driveable distance from the Crown at Bray (owned by HB), and the above recipe results in fries/chips which are IMNSHO at least as good as those served at mentioned establishment.

I'd recommend refrigerating the pre-fried chips before the final 180C fry, but not to freeze as (IMO) this negatively impacts the texture of the fries, making them have a more starchy mouth feel than fries that have never been frozen.

Perhaps bamboo mats would work to facilitate handling of the potatoes? And why microwave them?

Edited September 9, 2013 by HowardLi (log)

[lesliec]

... And why microwave them?

As Kleinebre noted, to get rid of moisture. The method I've been using has them sitting in the fridge for as long as possible (24 hours isn't too long) for the same reason. I'm very interested to try the microwave technique.