Poaching

If you’re anything like me, when you think of Poaching, you think of a Ladies Luncheon where the main offering is Poached Salmon in a Dill Sauce. Yes?

It’s no wonder I avoided Poaching for so many years…

However, I’ve learned that Poaching is a beautiful cooking method for delivering extremely moist food. Used for shrimp, chicken or even fruit, Poaching is quite versatile.Using the Concentration OR Expansion method, Poaching involves gently cooking an ingredient in a large amount of liquid.

Utilization Tip:

• Best for delicate proteins like fish, chicken breast and eggs
• Also used for vegetables, grains and pasta

Technique:

1. Prepare your cooking liquid by infusing flavor (add peppercorns, lemons, bay leaves, herbs, garlic, etc…)
2. Bring the liquid to a boil and immediately lower the heat to bring the water down to the temperature at which you’d like your final product (i.e. if you’re poaching chicken breast, bring your water to 165 degrees)
3. Submerge your piece to cook
4. Remove from the liquid
5. Serve with a sauce or in the cooking liquid