COPY: Poaching 101

Poaching as a Cooking Technique:

• Poaching involves heating food submerged in a liquid at a relatively lower temperature of 70-80°C.
• Poaching is best suited for delicate food such as eggs, poultry, fish, and fruit.
• It is considered a healthy cooking method as it does not use fat for cooking or flavoring the food.
• Shallow poaching uses a sautoir or other shallow cooking vessel; heat is transferred by conduction from the pan, to the liquid, to the food.
• Deep poaching involves fully submerging the product in the liquid, and the pot used should hold the food, liquid, and aromatics comfortably.
• Poaching liquid traditionally uses a stock, broth, or court bouillon which can consist of an acid, and aromatics, although any flavorful liquid can be used in poaching.
• For maximum flavor, the cooking liquid is usually reduced and used as the base for a soup or sauce.
• Poaching allows the proteins to denature without pulling too much moisture out of the food.
• Water is a relatively efficient conductor of heat, and poaching is used to regulate food at a low temperature for extended periods, as with sous-vide.
• Simmering generally uses a higher temperature for cooking, and boiling uses the absolute highest temperature for water.
• Poaching is often confused with stewing, as both techniques involve cooking through simmering. However, the purpose of poaching is to cook while retaining the basic shape and structure of the food rather than to soften it, as with stewing.
• Poaching is often considered a healthy cooking method because it does not use fat for cooking or flavoring the food.