Unit 24: Poaching and Simmering

1. Unit 24: Poaching and Simmering Cooking submerged, no discernable crust, no searing or browning American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

2. American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

3. Techniques • Poached foods are naturally tender • Liquid is kept to a low temperature • Simmered foods are usually more mature and flavorful and cooked at a slightly higher temperature than poaching • The higher temperature difference, breaks down connective tissue • Boiling temperature is reserved to rehydrate pasta, legumes, and cereals American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

4. Poaching • Foods are completely submerged • Kept at a constant temperature • Objective is to produce foods that are very tender • Equipment needed is deep, wide, nonreactive pot that has a rack, tight cover if needed • Ladles, skimmers, cutting equipment, holding equipment, thermometer American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

5. Ingredients • Poaching ingredients must be naturally tender • Simmering ingredients can have slightly more texture • Poaching foods include sole, flounder, halibut, salmon, trout, sweetbreads • Simmering foods include lobster, shrimp, corned beef, tongue, brisket, shanks American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

6. May be bite size or whole Must be trimmed Fish wrapped in cheesecloth Stuffed if desired Use a well-developed stock for meats Use a fumet or court bouillon for seafood Aromatic ingredients A sauce which can be part of the liquid Could be emulsion sauce, or mayonnaise based sauce, or a grand sauce Ingredients for Poaching American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

7. Heat liquid to a boil then reduce to desired temperature Add the food and turn heat up to maintain the temperature, then reduce the heat Maintain the temperature to 160°–185°F, (72°–82°C) Poach until done, remove and hold to prepare sauce or just plate and garnish Evaluate the quality of the product and the sauce Method American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

8. Look for tenderness Good flavor Good color and texture A complimentary sauce Drained food, no water or liquid on the plate Served hot Method (continued) American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

9. Simmering • Food also completely submerged • Cooked slightly higher in temperature • Boiling items, such as boiled lobster or New England boiled dinner, are really simmered • Sauce for New England boiled dinner can be made in the fashion of velouté, adding horseradish and a little cream with the cooking liquid American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

10. Combine the food with the liquid and bring to a gently simmering temperature Add the garnishes progressively, while the main ingredient is cooking, so that they all finish at about the same time 185°–200°F (82°–85°C) Simmer until food is fork-tender and remove Evaluate the quality of the simmered dish Simmering Techniques American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

11. Is everything tender and not mushy? Is it well drained? Is the sauce complimentary? Does the meat shred when sliced? Do colors have good eye appeal? Evaluating Simmering Techniques American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.

12. Serving Poached Items Cold • Slightly undercook the main item • Shut the heat off, pull it, cover it, and let the item finish in the liquid • Remove the food when fully cooked • Properly cool the food • You may wish to weight the food in cool liquid to facilitate easy slicing American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals.