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Poaching food
Poaching food or to poach is to cook a food by placing it in a pot of seasoned simmering liquid.
Poaching is a type of moist-heat cooking technique that involves cooking by submerging food in a liquid, such as water, milk, stock or wine.
Poaching is differentiated from the other “moist heat” cooking methods, such as simmering and boiling, in that it uses a relatively low temperature about 71–82 °C or 160–180 °F.
This temperature range makes it particularly suitable for delicate food, such as eggs, poultry, fish and fruit, which might easily fall apart or dry out using other cooking methods.
Poaching is often considered a healthy method of cooking because it does not use fat to cook or flavour the food.
How to poach eggs
This is my tried and true method of poaching eggs which is very simple and produces great results.
- Start by getting the freshest eggs you can.
- Heat water in a pan until it is simmering i.e. bring the water to a boil and then lower the heat until only a few bubbles are rising from the bottom of the pan.
- Do not poach eggs in boiling water as it will make them tough to eat.
- Crack the eggs into a saucer and gently slide them into the simmering water.
- Cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny.
- Lift the eggs from the pan using a slotted spoon, drain excess water, and serve immediately.
How to Make Perfect Poached Eggs – 3 Ways | Jamie Oliver
How to poach an egg is one of life’s little tricks which can be hard to get right.
So Jamie’s got 3 methods to suit everyone’s ability and taste plus a great idea for serving them too.
How to poach chicken
- Place the chicken in a pot.
- Cover the chicken with water. Pour in enough cool water to cover the chicken by 3cm or so.
- Place the pot of chicken on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Bring the water to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook: As soon as the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the chicken simmer.
Begin checking the chicken after 8 minutes: it is done when opaque through the middle and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat registers somewhere between 77℃ – 82℃.
Chicken will typically finish cooking in 10 to 14 minutes depending on the thickness of the meat and whether it is has a bone. - 5 Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid.
- Serve or store the chicken. Poached chicken can be served hot, room temperature, or cool.
It can also be served whole, or it can be sliced or shredded as per your recipe.
Arrange the chicken in a single layer on the bottom of the pot. It’s fine if they overlap a little, but they cook more evenly if they are in a single layer.
Sprinkle salt over top.
How to Poach Chicken Breast
Mike from livelife365 shows you how simple and easy it is to poach a chicken breast.
Water, salt and pepper and half an onion, this baby is delicious and fast to make.