Sous Vide Sausage & Cheddar Egg Bites

• 6 large eggs
• 115 g low-fat cottage cheese
• 40 g shredded sharp cheddar (for the base)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp MSG
• 200 g breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
• 60 g shredded sharp cheddar (for the jars)
• Butter or oil, for greasing jars

Method

1. 1
   Preheat the water bath

   Set your immersion circulator to 172F / 77.8C and let the water come fully up to temp before anything goes in. Use a pot deep enough that the jars can sit with water reaching up to their shoulders. This temp is the single most important variable - hotter makes rubbery, squeaky eggs; this is the custard window.

2. 2
   Cook the sausage first

   If your sausage is raw, cook it in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it into small crumbles, until fully browned. Drain on paper towels and let it cool. It must be cooked and cooled before it goes in the jars - raw sausage won't render at sous vide temp and sheds grease into the custard.

3. 3
   Grease the jars

   Grease the inside of all six wide-mouth jars with butter or oil, coating well up the sides. This is what lets the set bites slide out cleanly - be generous, especially near the base.

4. 4
   Blend the custard base

   In a high-speed blender, blend the eggs, cottage cheese, base cheddar, salt, and MSG until completely smooth and slightly frothy, about 20-30 seconds. Blending is non-negotiable - it emulsifies the cottage cheese into the eggs, which is what gives the silky custard set instead of tight scrambled-egg texture. Let it settle a minute so the foam calms.

5. 5
   Fill the jars

   Divide the cooked sausage and jar cheddar evenly among the six greased jars - roughly a rounded tablespoon of each per jar. Then pour the blended base over, filling each jar only about three-quarters full. Leave real headspace; the custard rises slightly. Do NOT screw the lids on tight - either leave lids off, or set them on and turn only to fingertip-tight. A sealed jar traps air, floats, and can crack.

6. 6
   Cook

   Lower the jars into the 172F bath, standing upright, water reaching their shoulders. If they bob, that's fine as long as they stay upright and submerged to the shoulder - a rack or a folded towel in the bottom helps them sit flat. Cook for 60 minutes.

7. 7
   Pull and rest

   Lift the jars out (they're hot - use tongs or a towel). The tops should look just set, maybe a touch domed, with a slight jiggle - that jiggle is correct, they finish setting as they cool. Let them rest 5 minutes.

8. 8
   Unmold

   Run a thin knife or small offset spatula around the inside edge of each jar, then invert onto a plate - the bite should drop out. Eat warm, or cool fully and refrigerate. First time, taste one immediately and note whether you want it firmer (add 3-4 min next batch) or silkier (drop the bath 1-2 degrees).