|
Poaching
There are five main methods of
cooking using wet heat: poaching, boiling, steaming, braising, and
stewing. You can see our discussion of braising
also, and more discussions will follow soon.
Poaching uses moist heat to
cook foods rather quickly at a low temperature. The foods are typically
tender. Probably the most well known is eggs. But fruit, chicken
breasts, and fish are also commonly poached.
There are a number of
variations in poaching.
1. Sometimes the food is
partially covered with liquid; sometimes it is submerged.
2. The cooking is usually
begun on the range, and can be completed there or moved to the oven
heated to 325°F.
3. Sometimes water is used,
as in the case of eggs. But often stock or broth is used, as in the
case of chicken. Frequently wine or lemon juice is added to the broth.
A court bouillon, used in poaching fish, means "short
broth." It is water, seasonings, herbs, and a little white wine.
4. Sometimes the food is
placed in already hot liquid, as in the case of eggs. Often the liquid
is cold and the food gradually heated in it, as in the case of fish.
5. Sometimes the poaching
liquid is discarded, as in the case of eggs. Often it is used as the
base for a sauce to enhance the finished food, as in the case of
chicken and fish.
6. Often vegetables, such as
chopped onion, garlic, shallots, carrots, and/or celery, are sautéed
or sweated in the pan and then the main food placed over them, as with
fish. Other times not, as with eggs.
7. Usually the poaching is
done covered with parchment paper or a lid to keep in the aromatic
steam, as with fish. Sometimes not, as with eggs.
There are five key factors to
keep in mind for successful poaching.
1. The food needs to be able
to be cooked fairly quickly. This limits its size and tenderness.
Poaching is not braising, which is used for less tender foods.
2. The heat should be mild,
not rising above 170°F. Boiling is 212°F, which is much too hot.
Poaching is below the level of a simmer which is around 185°F. The
liquid can simmer a bit, but that is all. There should be no active
bubbling.
3. To keep the food tender
and moist, keep a close watch on the time. The poaching of a chicken
breast can be completed in as little as 15 minutes.
4. Typically, flavor from the
food will be lost into the liquid, so (a) a flavorful liquid should be
used to compensate and (b) the liquid should be reduced and used to
enhance flavor in the finished food.
5. To concentrate the flavors
lost from the food to the poaching liquid, use a pan that just
accommodates the food. In other words, keep the poaching liquid to a
minimum. This also speeds up the process of reducing the liquid if
that is done at the end of the poaching process.
Chicken breasts are really easy
to poach. They should be deboned and skinless, known as
"supremes," so cooking will be relatively quick. Place the
breasts in a buttered or oiled buffet casserole or baking dish plump
side up. Use a high quality chicken stock, such as made from our Glace
de Poulet Gold, or water. If the stock is unsalted, grind some sea salt
and pepper over them, squeeze on a little lemon juice. Add just enough
chicken stock to cover the breasts completely. Bring to almost a simmer
on the range; then cover and transfer to an oven heated to 325°F, or
finish on the stove. Cook for 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove the chicken
breasts and keep warm. Boil the liquid to concentrate its flavors. If so
desired, thicken the stock with butter and flour. You can also stir in
some hot heavy cream. Then adjust the salt and pepper to your taste.
Spoon over the breasts.
My favorite poached dish is
salmon. I use simple Middle Eastern flavorings. My practice is to buy a
fillet of salmon, and cut it in half. I then grill one half and poach
the other. The poached piece is refrigerated covered by its own broth,
to which I have added half a bottle of clam juice. It can be held in the
refrigerator for over a week, although that is not typical in our
household. The flavor of the broth will develop in the refrigerator. On
the day I serve it, I heat the salmon in its broth, never letting
bubbles appear, strain some of the broth into a heat-proof pitcher and
flavor with lemon juice, clam juice, and sea salt. I then heat the broth
in the microwave so it is really hot. I serve the salmon with rice, and
put the pitcher of broth on the table for each person to pour over their
salmon and rice. My recipe follows.
|
Poaching
Salmon with Middle Eastern Flavoring
Poaching salmon is really easy and is a healthy, delicious
meal. We like to use Middle Eastern
flavorings. All you need is a fillet of salmon or a
whole salmon, a medium onion, clove of garlic, ground cumin,
cinnamon, olive oil, lemon, salt (sea salt), and clam juice.
Use a sauté pan or fish poacher. Put a tablespoon or two
of extra virgin olive oil in the pan over medium low heat.
Chop the onion and mince the garlic and throw in the pan.
If you want, you can add a chopped carrot and celery stalk too;
this is optional. I do when I have some. Turn the
heat down to low and cook stirring occasionally for about 10
minutes.
Then put the salmon in the pan, skin side down. If you are
using a sauté pan, you may have to cut the fillet in half and
put the two pieces side by side. Add water:
almost cover the fish if you are using a sauté pan, and cover
it completely if you have a fish poacher. You should have
two to four cups of water in the pan, depending on the size of
the piece of fish. Add a 1/4 teaspoon of cumin and a
teaspoon of cinnamon; cover and bring to a simmer using medium
heat. When a few bubbles appear, turn down to low and
simmer gently. It will take about 10-20 minutes to cook
the salmon.
At this point, put some rice on to cook using one cup of rice to
two cups of water. You know how to do that.
When the salmon is fully cooked - light pink all the way
through, strain two cups of the juice into a pitcher and add
clam juice to enrich the flavor; add the clam juice to
taste. Squeeze some lemon into the juice to taste, and
grind in some salt to taste. Use sea salt; its taste is so
much better than ordinary table salt. Heat the juice in a
microwave for a minute or so. Save any juice left in the
pan and flavor it when needed.
Use plates with a nice rim. Place a piece of salmon a
plate, use a scoop to place a couple nice mounds of rice next to
the fish. Sprinkle a little cinnamon on the rice.
Pour some juice over the rice and fish until the bottom of the
plate is coated with juice. Grind a little salt over the
juice on the plate, if you so desire.
Serve with bread and hummus bi
tahini dip and a green salad.
The preparation takes no longer than 30 minutes and the food is
delicate, delicious, and really good for you. |
|
Discussions
