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You’ve heard of cooking steaks sous vide, but one beloved chef says a similar method works for eggs — and tried it herself.
Ree Drummond, the Food Network host also known as the “Pioneer Woman,” recently cooked an omelet in a plastic bag placed in simmering water.
“I am really excited to try this,” Drummond said in a YouTube video posted March 18.
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The celebrity chef began by using a heat-safe plastic bag and preparing the ingredients.
“The good news is I’m not making a huge commitment by just making one omelet in a bag,” she said while chopping a tomato. “It’s nice to experiment with things like this before you really go whole hog.”
Ree Drummond is best known for her television program and brand, “The Pioneer Woman.” (Nathan Congleton/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
After cracking the eggs into a bag, Drummond began to whisk them together with a fork.
“I sure don’t want to pierce a hole in the bag,” she said in the video. “And then everything just goes in — the peppers, tomatoes, some grated cheese, some thin deli ham.”
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During the process, Drummond said, “I gotta tell you, I love it already.”
“I love the idea of making a bunch of these the night before,” she said. “It would make the cooking process go so much faster than tending to a skillet. All right, here goes nothing. Drop the bag right into simmering water.”
Experts say sous vide-style egg cooking can yield soft results but requires careful timing and temperature control. (iStock)
After removing the bag from the simmering water, the chef admired the omelet and said she was “so intrigued.”
She went on, “I’m gonna set it down and just let it cool off a little bit. It is mighty hot.”
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She continued, “My dream is that this thing falls right out of the bag. … Ah, it looks amazing,” Drummond added, impressed. “Wow, it’s just so moist and perfect. I think it could use just a little garnish.”
There were mixed reactions posted in the YouTube comments section.
Drummond tested a bagged omelet technique, combining eggs, cheese and vegetables before placing them in hot water. (Tyler Essary/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
“Cooking in plastic bags … eish!” one person wrote.
“Looks super but are the eggs in the middle all the way done?” another questioned.
A third user wrote, “The traditional way is easier, faster and less mess.”
“Love these, been making them for years.”
Others thought the trick seemed promising.
“My sons learned this in Boy Scouts. We have them pretty often. … They’re good and no mess, or dishes to wash,” one mother commented.
Another said, “Love these, been making them for years.”
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The egg-cooking method is convenient but imperfect, California food scientist Rachel Zemser said.
It would take a skilled chef or scientist to get the egg consistency “just right,” Zemser told Fox News Digital.
A food scientist said cooking time and temperature must be carefully balanced to avoid drying out eggs. (iStock)
“If the temperature is too high, or if the egg is cooked too long, then the egg will become rubbery as the proteins will tighten up and squeeze out all the extra moisture,” she said.
The result, Zemser noted, would be a “rubbery egg in the bag.”
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“If the temperature is lowered, or cooking time adjusted, this can be perfected to create the ideal textured omelet,” she said.
For those who’d like to try it, Zemser suggested cooking the dish sous vide (French for “under vacuum”) at 167 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.
“Some people like some cooked brown notes on their eggs, others do not — so it’s a preference thing.”
“That would prevent the proteins from binding up tightly, squeezing out the water and drying out the egg, making it rubbery,” she said.
“Adding ingredients like fat or cream can prevent the egg protein matrix from binding up so tight and keep the omelet softer and smoother during the cooking process.”
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The eggs wouldn’t brown or caramelize, but that might not make a difference depending on tastes, Zemser said.
“No caramelization could be a good or bad thing depending on the consumer,” she said. “Some people like some cooked brown notes on their eggs, others do not — so it’s a preference thing.”
The cooking method may appeal to some, while others prefer to stick with traditional skillet techniques. (iStock)
Zemser also cautioned that, while not an expert on microplastics, cooking food in plastic bags may not be for everyone.
“I would imagine that some people may have concerns about microplastics leaching into food,” she said, noting that issues typically arise at higher temperatures, such as boiling.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Drummond for comment.
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