Skip to main content

Poaching

A cooking technique in which items are gently cooked in a liquid, between the temperatures of 160°F and 185°F. When poaching make sure the food is completely submerged, in the heated liquid. This technique produces foods that are extremely moist with distinct flavors, delicate colors and no crust. For fish or shellfish use a flavorful liquid such as fish stock, fumet, wine or court bouillon and aromatic herbs and spices.
Steps for poaching:
  1. Heat liquid to a full boil, than reduce heat slightly (between 160°F and 185°F)
  2. Carefully add food to the liquid and return to correct temperature (adding the food to the liquid will reduce the temperature of the poaching liquid)
  3. Maintain the temperature of the liquid, skimming the top as necessary (careful not to boil the liquid as the food may begin to break up)
  4. Cook food until properly done, then carefully remove food from the liquid (to stop the cooking process remove food from the liquid and place on a cooling rack, careful not make food fall apart)
  5. Evaluate food and serve

Careful not to confuse with Shallow-Poaching, where the food is not completely submerged. The food is covered halfway by liquid and the top is cooked by steam. Shallow-poaching is normally done with a cartouche (a parchment paper lid), to trap in the steam and cook evenly.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Different Types of Kitchen Equipment

Just like knives there are lots (and I mean lots) of different types of kitchen equipment. From cutting boards and peelers to melon ballers/parisienne scoops, measuring cups and spoons to measuring bowls and scales. I could go on and on and on, you get the picture. It is no doubt that Chef's need a lot of equipment in order to put food on the table for customers every day and night. When it's crunch time during service, the tools you need is a hot rag or very thick towel (for grabbing hot pots, pans, etc.) and a pair of tongs.  Equipment Used in the Kitchen Peelers The peeler is a very indispensable kitchen tool with a slotted blade, designed for removing a thin layer from various fruits and vegetables. There are two main types of peelers, the Y-shaped peeler and the straight peeler. There is also the mechanical peeler, but it is not often used in the household nor the restaurant industry. Whisks/Whips A whisk or whip is Beat, blend or whip certain foods to inco...
2 comments
Read more

Rosemary

A woody perennial herb with dark green, needle-like leaves and spires of small, white, pink, purple or blue flowers. It has a very pungent fragrance and may be used for cosmetics and decorative purposes, as well as culinary uses. Rosemary adds a great flavor to lamb, pork, chicken and salmon as well as several soups and sauces. A native of the Mediterranean region, rosemary grows wild on dry shrub and is cultivated all year round.
3 comments
Read more

Cooking Tools for a Chef

The tools of a Chef and/or cook are very important. The tools you use will make or break the job you are given to do, which is feed people. Chefs and cooks use different types of tools, but I can just about guarantee one thing they all have in common, a hotpad (a thick towel for grabbing hot pots and pans), a knife of some sort and a pair of tongs. Those are the basic tools needed to create a great meal. The knives that you use in the kitchen is very important, kind of like your best friend. I believe that if you take very good care of your knife, he/she (whichever you should call your knife) will take good care of you. She won't hurt you or let you look bad unless you hurt or make her look bad, like a relationship. But you have to make sure you use the right knife for the right job. There are hundreds of different types of knives, but some of the most common are chef's knife, paring knife, utility knife, bread knife and fillet knife. Each knife has it's own uses. Case an...
Post a Comment
Read more