Poaching (Pocher)

Poaching appears throughout classical French technique as the cooking method for delicate proteins that cannot withstand direct heat: eggs, quenelles, fish, and whole poultry. The French white-cut chicken (poulet poché) and the English boiled chicken represent the same technique — poaching — applied to the same protein with entirely different cultural aesthetics in presentation.

Poaching is cooking a protein in liquid at a temperature below the boil — typically 75–85°C for most proteins, with variations specific to each. At this temperature, protein fibres coagulate gently rather than seizing and expelling moisture, producing a result that retains maximum juiciness. The liquid is not merely a cooking medium; it is a flavour exchange — the protein seasons the liquid and the liquid seasons the protein.

Not yet written for this entry.

Not yet written for this entry.