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Cooking encyclopedia Techniques

Poaching

Also called gentle simmering

Cooking submerged in liquid held below a simmer, around 70โ€“85 ยฐC.

70โ€“85 ยฐC (158โ€“185 ยฐF)

What it is

The surface should barely shiver. A poaching liquid is an ingredient: salted water, court bouillon, stock, milk, oil or syrup all leave their mark.

Why it works

Proteins set gently and stay tender because they never get the mechanical battering of boiling, and because muscle fibres squeeze out far less water below simmering point. It is the most forgiving way to cook something delicate.

When to use it

Eggs, fish, chicken breast, fruit, quenelles, dumplings, sausages before grilling.

What goes wrong

Letting it boil; salting too little, so flavour leaches out into the liquid; discarding a poaching liquid that has become good stock.

Meridian cooking encyclopedia โ€” Watchman Productions

More on this shelf

  • Blanching Brief cooking in heavily boiling water, usually followed by cooling.
  • Blooming spices Heating spices briefly in fat or a dry pan to release their aroma before they meet anything else.
  • Braising Browning, then cooking slowly in a small amount of liquid in a covered pot.
  • Deep-frying Cooking fully submerged in hot fat, usually 160โ€“190 ยฐC.
  • Deglazing Dissolving the browned residue in a pan with liquid, to turn it into sauce.
  • Emulsifying Dispersing fat and water into each other so they behave as one smooth sauce.
  • Grilling Cooking over or under direct radiant heat, close to the source.
  • Reducing Simmering a liquid uncovered to evaporate water and concentrate what is left.
  • Resting meat Leaving cooked meat off the heat before cutting it.
  • Roasting Cooking in dry oven heat, uncovered, so the surface browns while the inside cooks.
  • Sautรฉing Cooking small or thin pieces quickly in a little fat over fairly high heat, moving them often.
  • Searing Cooking a surface hard and fast to brown it, before or after the inside is cooked.