18: Cooking Methods: Poaching Animation Video
Transcript:
Cooking Method: Poaching
Poaching is a moist-heat cooking method which cooks food in a liquid. The poaching liquid is often flavored with ingredients such as lemon or mirepoix.
This method is used to cook delicate products, such as fish or eggs, which might fall apart if cooked at a higher temperature.
The temperature range for poaching is between 160°F and 180°F, or 71°C and 82°C. At the proper temperature, the liquid for poaching barely moves and some small bubbles occasionally break the surface.
There are two techniques for poaching—shallow poaching and deep poaching. Shallow poaching uses a small amount of liquid to cook. The amount of liquid used often covers the food halfway or less. When the poaching is complete, the liquid in which the food was poached is often used to create a sauce.
The other technique—deep poaching—uses enough liquid to fully cover the food being cooked. The liquid used for deep poaching is rarely used to create a sauce.