Kendall College has partnered with Cuisine Solutions, masters of sous vide since 1971, to launch a new sous vide training program and dedicated kitchen at the college’s campus.

Cuisine Solutions’ education arm, the Culinary Research and Education Academy (CREA), will share intellectual property and expertise for the development of Kendall’s sous-vide curriculum.

The program will launch in the fall 2012 term for the benefit of associate- and baccalaureate-degree students as well as for culinary professionals who seek expert training and certification in the sous vide process.

Sous vide—French for “under vacuum”—is a cooking technique in which food is vacuum sealed in a specially designed pouch and slow cooked in water at precision temperatures until it is cooked. The sous-vide method produces consistently excellent texture and flavor, maintaining the nutritional integrity and safety of the food.

Formal training in sous vide is heavily regulated by health departments because its exacting food-safety demands must conform to Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) standards. As a result, professional culinary-arts higher education and training programs have not had the skilled faculty, equipment, or funding to offer programs in the sous-vide process.

“Kendall College is thrilled to be the exclusive education partner of Cuisine Solutions for preparing professionals in the foodservice industry with an in-depth familiarity and expertise in sous vide,” says Emily Williams Knight, president of Kendall College. “Our new sous-vide kitchen will provide training not only for our students, but also for foodservice and manufacturing personnel worldwide.”

The new kitchen and training facility at Kendall will be built on the first floor of the college and will house sous-vide equipment manufactured by Niles, Illinois-based PolyScience.

Sous-vide HACCP certification and introductory sous-vide coursework will be integrated into the associate- and bachelor-degree curricula that include the foundations of cooking.

Seasoned professionals can take the online theoretical courses on sous vide and HACCP certification, as well as participate in workshops with Kendall’s certified sous-vide instructors and the “godfather” of modern sous vide, Bruno Goussalt, founder of CREA and chief chef-scientist for Cuisine Solutions. Initial online training will be offered in English and Spanish, and programs in additional languages such as Mandarin and Portuguese will be made available in coming years.

“Our collaboration with Cuisine Solutions to deliver quality, skilled training in sous vide further distinguishes the Kendall College School of Culinary Arts as one of the leading professional culinary-arts programs worldwide,” says Dean Renee Zonka, RD, CEC, CHE.

“The rarity of such training among schools coincides with unprecedented global use of and reliance on sous-vide cookery among foodservice operations. Thanks to our new relationship with Cuisine Solutions, graduates armed with a Kendall College degree in culinary arts will begin their careers with a competitive advantage through their knowledge of and experience with one of the most cutting-edge advancements in contemporary cooking.”

“This is a major development, not only for us, but for culinary students, professionals and the industry in general,” says Gerard Bertholon, chef and chief strategy officer of Cuisine Solutions. "The relationship between Cuisine Solutions and Kendall College will combine four decades of sous-vide know-how with one of the best culinary schools in the world. We can now offer our customers and culinary enthusiasts around the world access to cutting-edge sous-vide training online.”

American and French engineers rediscovered the sous-vide method, which traces to the late-18th century, in the mid-1960s as an industrial food-preservation method. In 1971, Dr. Bruno Goussault, who would become chief scientist at Cuisine Solutions, improved the sous-vide process to achieve ideal tenderness, savory flavor and mouthfeel of roast beef.

Today, sous vide is used in professional kitchens and food-production facilities the world over, from the most celebrated restaurants, hotels, country clubs, cruise lines and casinos to airlines, schools, healthcare facilities, military branches and food manufacturers.

Representatives from Kendall College and Cuisine Solutions will be available to discuss the School of Culinary Arts’ new sous-vide curriculum enhancement and facility plans at the 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, May 5-8, at McCormick Place in Chicago, in booth #588 located in the South Hall. For more information, visit sousvide.kendall.edu.