FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Mark R. Vogel
Epicure1@optonline.net
Poaching 101
Poaching is a wet-heat cooking method whereby food is
submerged in liquid and gently cooked. Shallow-poaching is a subtype of poaching
in which the food is only partially submerged. Heat is transferred to the food
via conduction, (direct contact with the hot liquid), and convection, (the
movement of the fluid medium). The difference between poaching, simmering, and
boiling is the temperature of the liquid. Poaching is from 160 to 185 degrees,
simmering is beyond 185, and boiling is when you obviously achieve a full boil.
These temperature differences are not arbitrary and have significant
ramifications for the food to be cooked. The hotter the fluid, the more
destructive it’s force, not only from the higher temperature but the increased
turbulence as well. You would never put a fragile piece of fish into boiling
water. The heat and agitation would disintegrate it. Therefore, the temperature
of the poaching liquid should be checked during cooking with an instant read
thermometer.
As stated, poaching is gentle cooking. The surface of the
water should only be shimmering and devoid of any roiling bubbles. The foods
best suited for poaching are naturally tender and delicate, e.g., fish, eggs,
chicken and fruits. Common fluids used for poaching include water, stock, wine
and court-bouillon, a broth made from water, wine, vinegar and/or citrus juice,
aromatics and herbs. Sometimes the poaching liquid is employed only for cooking
and sometimes the leftover liquid is incorporated into a sauce. Poaching liquids
used only for cooking should be amply seasoned. All wet-heat cooking methods
leach some flavor from the food. This can be offset by a flavorful poaching
liquid. If the poaching liquid is to be used as a sauce, you may need to reduce
it further once the food has finished cooking. This will depend on how much
liquid you started with, how much is left over after poaching, and the target
concentration of the sauce. If further reduction is required, place the food in
another container with some of the liquid to prevent it from drying out while
you prepare the sauce.
Poaching can be done with or without a lid. Covering the pan
will increase the temperature of the poaching liquid. Thus, you will need to
decrease the heat source accordingly to maintain the proper temperature. The lid
will also inhibit the evaporation of the poaching liquid. This is a moot point
if the liquid is to be used only for cooking and not for a sauce. But if the
liquid is to become a sauce, and if reduction is required, the lid will thwart
that effort, unless your plan is to do all the reducing after the item is
cooked. For example, if you have just enough liquid to cover the food, and you
wish to keep the food submerged throughout the cooking, then you would employ a
lid and reduce the liquid afterwards.
SHALLOW-POACHED SEA BASS
6 oz. chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon McCormick lemon-pepper seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
Juice and zest from half a lemon
Salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
1 lb sea bass
Combine all the ingredients for the poaching liquid in a straight sided skillet,
(known as a sautoir), with a lid. Bring the liquid to about 175-180 degrees. Add
the fish and leave the lid slightly askew for some evaporation. Cook the fish
until an instant read thermometer registers 140 degrees, turning it once halfway
through the cooking. I like to also spoon some of the liquid over the top of it
as it cooks. Depending on the thickness of the fish this may take as much as ten
minutes. You probably won’t need to reduce the liquid. Strain the liquid and
pour it over the fish before service.
I strongly recommend you use a rather thick piece of fish.
Standard fish fillets are too thin to use a thermometer and can be easily
overcooked if you lack experience judging their doneness from appearance alone.
With a good sized fillet and a thermometer the guesswork is eliminated and the
fish can be cooked precisely. Overcooking will cause it to dry out and crumble.
POACHED PEARS IN RED WINE
1 bottle dry red wine
1 cup sugar
1 cup water plus more if needed
1 vanilla bean, sliced
2 star anise
2 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
6 ripe pears
Peel, halve, and core the pears, and then place them in acidulated water to
prevent browning. Combine all of the remaining ingredients in a large pot and
bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a poaching temperature and add the pears.
Add more water if needed to submerge the pears. You can place a small lid on top
of them or cut out a round piece of parchment paper with an inch and a half hole
in the center to place on top of them. Either method will help keep them
submerged. Cover the pot and poach until the pears are fork tender. This will
vary with their degree of ripeness but usually 10-20 minutes. Allow them to cool
in the poaching liquid. You can also take some of the liquid and reduce it
further to form a syrupy sauce. Pour it over the pears with some ice cream.
