There are many different methods to cooking. Each one impacts the flavor and texture of the food. Examples include roasting, grilling, sautéing, boiling, frying, braising, poaching, sous vide, steaming and even microwaving, which I must admit is not a technique I recommend. The degree to which we choose to use these methods also follows habitual ways of cooking. We most frequently roast our turkeys, grill our steaks, sauté our vegetables and boil our eggs. Or we fry our bacon and sometimes poach our fish and steam our vegetables. Be looking for upcoming columns that focus on these many approaches. Sous vide is my newest favorite. The technique is only 40 years old and it cooks by temperature alone. Poaching is similar to sous vide, however, poaching imparts flavor through the liquid itself.

For many people, Asian takeout is the only experience they have with poaching. In the Far East, this technique is as common as burgers on the grill. In contrast, Western-style eaters choose to fry, grill, roast or braise. But we sell ourselves short by not giving other methods a try. Poaching is one of the easiest, quickest and most satisfying cooking methods available. Furthermore, poaching is among the most nutritious and healthiest methods ever devised, since it doesn’t use any fat to carry heat to the food in the cooking process and it is as flexible as the flavoring you add to the liquid.

How Long Do We Poach?
Poaching is ideally done on your stove top, on a burner with liquid reaching temperatures between 160F and 180F. This takes about 8 minutes in the bath at desired temperature confirmed by a food thermometer. If the liquid is bubbling at the top, turn it down until you only see the liquid moving or simmering slightly at the bottom. If your vegetables are smaller than a couple of inches square, poach for less time—3 to 4 minutes.

What Liquid Is Used and How Much Do We Use?
The liquid in which you poach will significantly influence the taste of the food. Try water, milk, wine, broth, lemon juice, vinegar or puréed vegetables in a liquid of your choice—an approach made popular by author and Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Not very much liquid is needed—2 to 4 inches high—or approximately 2 quarts of liquid in a large pan dependent upon the thickness of items to be poached. The items should be placed half in and half out of the liquid.

How Do You Know If The Food Is Done?
Place the uncooked food into a poaching bath, at least half-covered, until the internal temperature of chicken or fish has reached about 160F, which takes about 8 to 10 minutes, as confirmed by a food thermometer. Vegetables take less time—3 to 4 minutes—and tend to retain their color. Most fish develops a slightly white color though salmon turns pink; chicken and other birds will become slightly pale in color, as will pork. Don’t expect your food to be brown or crispy but rather moist and plump. You will have the knowledge that your food will be virtually fat and dairy free.

What Holds the Food to Be Poached?
As you can see from the above procedure, no special equipment is needed for poaching other than a medium to large sauté pan, as long as it will hold the proper amount of liquid and the items to be poached. If a bigger pan is needed, use a large hotel pan to hold whatever you are poaching, and place another pan with holes inside. This second pan must be low enough so that the poaching items are partly in the liquid and partly out. Cover the entire poaching container with a metal top or a piece of aluminum foil. This works perfectly fine and is less expensive than poachers sold at Williams Sonoma or those sold from companies online. Here’s a simple recipe for poached salmon. You can also try any white fish, such as halibut, flounder or fluke. Squid or shrimp each poached for 3 to 4 minutes are wonderful, too. This dish is divine when served along side a freshly tossed salad with a lemon-fennel vinaigrette (see Fennel Dipping Sauce) and some brown rice and bulgur wheat.

Poached Salmon With Fennel Dipping Sauce
Serves 4 to 6
1½ cups pinot grigio
1½ cups water
1 large poblano chile pepper, rougly chopped
1 large Italian red pepper, rougly chopped
½ cup loosely packed cilantro, chopped
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 lbs salmon, cut into 4 to 6 pieces
1 lemon, quartered

1. Pour the pinot grigio and water poaching liquid, into a medium-size skillet with sides. Add poblano chile, Italian pepper, cilantro, yellow onion, celery stalk and chopped carrot.
2. Place the salmon in simmering liquid over medium heat and poach for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove and carefully place on a sheet tray. Cover with aluminum foil and leave on top of stove until ready to eat; serve within 10 minutes. If longer, put in oven at 225F, still covered, within 10 minutes of serving. Add 1 piece of lemon to each serving.
Fennel Dipping Sauce
Combine ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil with 1 tablespoon sweet tamari sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, juice of ½ lemon and 1 teaspoon toasted and crushed fennel seeds. Whisk all together. This sauce can also be used on the salad. Buon Appetito.

Please send comments, questions or observations of interest to Chef Alan at azox@zox kitchen.com. For details about past columns, catering or Chef Zox’s blog, please visit www.zoxkitchen.com.