Poaching

Poaching is the principle of cookery where food is completely submerged in liquid just below boiling point (93 - 95 ºC). This temperature is desirable because the lack of movement of the liquid ensures that the food is not disturbed during the cooking process. A higher temperature may break up the texture, toughen the protein and shrink the more delicate food. In poaching, the food must be completely in the poaching liquid throughout the cooking process.

This gentle moist heat cookery method is used extensively for cooking delicate food items. Equipment used for poaching includes pots, fish kettle, bratt pan, pan, casserole dishes, egg poacher, fondue pot and Chinese steamboat.

Poaching is used for tender meat, offal, terrines, fish, eggs, fruit and desserts. Food can be either shallow-poached or deep-poached. Shallow-poaching refers to food being placed in a dish or pan (often buttered) and cooked with a small amount of stock and/or alcohol such as wine. The poaching liquor can be used in the sauce. Fish fillets, small shellfish and chicken breasts are also suitable items for this cookery method.

Shallow-poached dishes are often covered with a cartouche to keep the moisture in the food. The dish is then finished with butter, referred to as monter au beurre (mounting with butter). The poaching liquor is reduced and cold butter is shaken or rapidly whisked into the sauce until it has reached the required consistency.

Deep-poaching refers to food being completely submerged in the liquid. Whole fish, chicken, crustaceans, joints of meat, offal, eggs and fresh and dried fruits are cooked using this method. Often a cartouche (a piece of greaseproof paper that is folded to sit on top of the poaching liquid) is used to keep the food submerged whilst it is cooking.

Deep-poaching can be done with the following liquids:

• Water - plain, salted or with vinegar

• Milk

• Stock syrup (is a poaching liquid that is used in sweet items, such as Italian meringues. Stock syrups are used to poach fresh and dried fruits.)

• Court-bouillon (is an aromatic poaching liquid that enhances the flavour of the food that is poached. Court bouillon contains an acid (e.g. vinegar, lemon juice, white wine) that acts to stabilise the protein of soft textured food such as brains, fish and eggs).

• Stock

Temperature requirements vary according to the product being cooked. If you are poaching a whole fish it is advisable to start with a cold liquid, so that the product is cooked through evenly. It is important to remove the item at the correct time, remembering that the remaining heat within the food or liquid will continue to cook it after it is removed.

Often the product is cooled in the liquid to retain the maximum flavour, but make sure it is not overcooked. If you overcook the food it will lose the desired flavour and texture. If the temperature is too high the food will become tough or fall apart.

• Bratt pan

• Egg poacher

• Chinese steam boat

• Fish kettle

• Pan

• Pot

• Casserole Dish

• Fondue Pot

Poaching Vegetables, Legumes and Fruit

Vegetables are usually not poached by themselves. Mostly they are included to provide extra flavour to other dishes. For example, vegetables are added to the court-bouillon to provide additional aromas. Diced onion is placed into a buttered pan when shallow-poaching fish. Precision cuts such as brunoise can also be added to provide additional flavour and colour.

Potatoes are often used as a component in recipes that use poaching. For example, potato dumplings can be made from cooked or raw potatoes. Gnocchi mixtures, which are very fragile, are also poached to prevent them from breaking up.

Soft fruits and stone fruits are often poached in stock syrup and served in the liquid as a dessert or compote for breakfast. Sometimes the fruit is bottled and the residual heat cooks the fruit through. Fruits such as apple, pear and pineapple are poached for longer periods of time so that they soften slowly. They are often cooled in the poaching liquor to obtain maximum flavour, but remember to take the carryover heat into account!

Poached tamarillo, figs, nagami kumquats and lychees are other fruit which add variety to the menu. By adding spices such as star anise to the poaching liquid, the taste can be changed considerably. Using red wine, port or other alcohol will also result in a different flavour and colour.

Poaching Farinaceous Items

Dumplings are the most common type of poached farinaceous items in Europe. Bread or cereal is bound with egg and spices and other flavourings can be added. Dumplings can also be made from grated or cooked potatoes and are poached in salted water and served as an accompaniment. Alternatively, a basic yeast dough can be wrapped up in a cloth and poached. These serviette dumplings are served in Italy (canederli), Czech Republic (knedlíky), Poland (kluski), Austria and Germany (knödel, klösse).

Plum dumplings are a specialty in Austria, Bavaria and Czech Republic. A plum is surrounded in a flour and potato mixture, poached and then served with cinnamon, sugar and buttered breadcrumbs on top. Dumplings made from semolina are used in broths.

Chinese jiaozi are made from a basic noodle paste which is filled with cabbage and pork, wrapped and poached. They are served with a dipping sauce or are reheated later by frying.

Poaching Dairy Items

A simple poached dish using dairy items is cheese dumplings poached in milk. These are made from quark and eggs, bound with flour. They are moulded with a spoon and poached, then served with fresh or stewed fruit. Milk is also suitable as a poaching liquid for veal.

Poaching Protein Items

First class meat cuts such as fillet can be shallow-poached in broth. Tougher cuts are deep-poached to make them tender and to release flavour into the broth. This approach is used extensively around the world, such as for Austrian specialties like poached beef tri-tip and goat shoulder with baby vegetables and Asian pork knuckle poached in hoisin stock. Brains and sweetbreads can also be poached.

The breast is usually the only poultry cut that is shallow-poached, while most other cuts are best suited to methods such as braising to make them tender. Whole poultry can be deep-poached to cook the meat gently or to par-cook it before it is processed further. The meat should be refreshed after it is cooked and removed from the bone. The resulting liquid is referred to as broth and is used for soup.

Smaller pieces of breast such as tenderloins and suprême are used for shallow-poaching. The pan is buttered, diced onion is spread on the base and additional flavour ingredients such as mushrooms and white wine or stock are added. The chicken breast is placed on top, covered with a cartouche and brought to the boil. The temperature is reduced, a lid is placed on top and the food is poached slowly. Alternatively it can be placed into the oven to finish cooking. Once the food is cooked through it is put on a plate and covered with the cartouche to keep it warm. The poaching liquor is reduced and the sauce is mounted with butter. The dish is finished with herbs and the sauce is poured over the chicken.

Note: In Chinese cooking the poaching liquor is often used repeatedly, e.g. grandfather stock.

Game is seldom poached as it is usually too tough. Whole game birds such as guineafowl can be poached but you must consider the dryness of the meat and it should be served immediately after cooking. An interesting menu application for game and poultry is the use of farces, which are mixtures of minced meat and cream, as well as spices, diced ham and chopped nuts, poached in salted water or stock. A farce can be formed into quenelles (small dumplings) to garnish a soup or moulded into larger shapes for an entrée.

A time-consuming menu option is to make galantine from a whole chicken or other game bird. The bird is boned out, filled with farce, then rolled up or reassembled into its original shape and poached. Once it is cooled it can be coated with chaud-froid to be used as an entrée or for cold buffets.

Milk can be used for poaching fish such as smoked haddock and salt cod. Seafood is often deep-poached in court-bouillon or shallow-poached with wine, finely diced onions and other aromatics. Large fish are poached using a cold water start to ensure even cooking in the centre. Large restaurant cuts of fish, such as salmon cutlet and blue eye cod suprême, can be deep-poached.

Small fish, fillets, suprême, paupiettes and délice are all suitable for shallow-poaching. Peeled prawns, bug tails, lobster tails and scallops are also suitable.

Poached eggs are a favourite on most breakfast menus. The gentle cooking in water and vinegar helps the egg white to set evenly, surrounding the yolk. Eggs may be shallow- or deep-poached but if you are shallow-poaching them you need to make sure that the yolk cooks fully. If you are pre-poaching large amounts of eggs to be used later, it is advisable to cool them in ice slurry (a mixture of ice and water) and then reheat them in salted water at service time. Snow eggs are a simple dessert using meringue formed into quenelles, which are poached in milk. To minimise waste, the milk can then used to produce Anglaise sauce.

Effect on the nutritional value of the food

As the food is cooked in liquid, water soluble vitamins (Vitamin C) will be lost. The high temperatures may also destroy heat sensitive vitamins.

Common Problems that arise when poaching foods

• Poached food has a tough and rubbery texture - the food is boiled at too high a temperature

• Fruit discolours - fruit is not completely submerged in the poaching liquid.

• Foods break up - overcooked or temperature too high.

Waste minimisation techniques

• FIFO/LILO - regular rotation of stock to ensure old stock is used first

• Only use fresh, quality ingredients - crack the egg prior to poaching in a small container to visually check for freshness. Do not use if egg yolk has sunk or white is runny.