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

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

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

Different Types of Stock

A stock is a very flavorsome liquid made by simmering animal carcass and/or vegetables in water and aromatics until their flavor is extracted. Usually used as a base for soups, sauces, braising liquids and several other culinary preparations. There are several different types of stock, here are a few of them I use. *Simple stock- combine flavoring ingredients with water and simmer for a specific amount of time (cooking times may very according to the type of stock your making). Chicken stock, vegetable stock and fish stock are examples of simple stocks. They are normally used to prepare soups, grains and vegetables. Skim often. *White stock- a neutral flavored stock made by blanching the bones in water before marrying them with water, vegetables and herbs. The most common whites stocks are made from beef or veal. White stocks are great for adding body to certain dishes without changing the flavor much. *Seafood stock- made from shrimp and lobster shells, some fish heads or bon...
Post a Comment
Read more