Unit 24: Poaching and Simmering

American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ

07458. All Rights Reserved.

Unit 24: Poaching and Simmering

Cooking submerged, no discernable crust, no searing

or browning



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



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



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



Ingredients for Poaching

• 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



Method

• 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 (continued)

• Look for tenderness• Good flavor• Good color and texture• A complimentary sauce• Drained food, no water or liquid on the plate• Served hot



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



Simmering Techniques

• 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



Evaluating Simmering Techniques

• 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?



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

Unit 24: Poaching and Simmering

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