Poaching

[pcieluck]

It's a technique I have no experience with.  But the more French cook books I buy, the more pouching I see.  Here is what I do know about it. When I make chicken stock from chicken drums, if I eat a drum when the stock is finished, it tastes like nothing!  Any vegetables I decide to eat from the finished stock tastes like nothing.  So now I read a recipe for Poule au Pot and I have an extremely difficult time believing that simmering a chicken and some vegetables for two hours in water will produce anything but flavorful stock that is filled with bland tasting things. So then I'm interested in your experiences with pouched chicken as well as many other proteins.  Maybe even a 101 on the subject.

 

[chefedb]

Since drumsticks only contain 1 bone, you need an awful lot in ratio to water. I don't POACH them, I simmer them, and they require seasoning.

 

[pcieluck]

I'm not saying I pouch them for the sake of eating, i'm saying using for them stock. same with wings.

 

[chefbuba]

I "Pouched" some chicken yesterday, it tasted pretty good. It';s all about seasoning and aromatics.

And unless they are teaching something new  in culinary school, I assume you mean Poached.

 

[benway]

Poule au pot is about as peasant as it gets.  You're exact right that the broth you get from this preparation is easily the best part, and is traditionally served as a first course soup.  The chicken is usually stuffed before it is poached and the stuffing comes out as one piece and is sliced, and served with the bird.  The bird is eaten with mustard, probably to make it taste like something.  The purpose of this is to make an entire meal with as little as possible, using only one pot.

I can't speak for the world but when I say "poaching" I'm talking about simmering something in a flavorful liquid like stock or wine.  If its just water I'll call it boiling or blanching.

 

[shroomgirl]

When I poach chicken the liquid is chicken stock....to make a rich chicken stock start with whole hens....not chickens but Hens.

 

[pcieluck]

Ah how embarassing. I do mean "poaching." any chance a mod can fix the title of this thread?

But I guess the best idea would be to start Poule au Pot with the carcass of my last chicken before adding the chicken i want to use, or just use stock. And poached salmon, the head before the filets, etc?

 

[shroomgirl]

meaty carcass

 

[shroomgirl]

Guess I should elaborate alittle.....your stock is only as good as the ingredients you put in the pot....If you use bones, that's going to be a very week stock.  If you use flesh and bones it'll only be stronger.  If you make a dbl stock, one where you start out with stock and add whole chickens it will only be yummier.

 

[french fries]

There's a HUGE difference between poaching and making stock.

When poaching, you put the cold, raw item in hot liquid (not simmering temperature, slightly under, there shouldn't be any bubbles). That item will get infused with the flavor from the liquid, but will not release its own flavors in the liquid. Typically, a flavorful liquid such as stock is used for poaching. The poached item should have all its own flavor, plus the flavor of the poaching liquid.

When making stock, you put the item in cold liquid. That item will release its flavor into the liquid. Typically, the liquid used to start stocks is water. The item used to make stock should have no flavor at all once the stock is done.

 

[pcieluck]

Generally in stock making i use a mixture of bones and meat.  But french fries is exactly the kind of information I was looking for. and so far, I think we've established that I should not begin any any recipe with water, no matter what the recipe says, unless we're making stock.

 

[chrisbelgium]

... I think we've established that I should not begin any any recipe with water, no matter what the recipe says, unless we're making stock.

I very much agree with FrenchFries too.

But that doesn't mean, pcieluck, that you can't start a recipe with water. When poaching fish like salmon, I usually take water, add a whole onion, peppercorns, lemonjuice and zeste, a few korianderseeds, salt, kaffirleaf and whatever the inspiration of the moment may be. Put it to simmer for 20 minutes and the flavored water is ready to poach some salmon in it.

Even this confirm FrenchFries explanation on making some sort of a spice/herbs stock and using it for poaching.

 

[chefedb]

I very much agree with FrenchFries too.

But that doesn't mean, pcieluck, that you can't start a recipe with water. When poaching fish like salmon, I usually take water, add a whole onion, peppercorns, lemonjuice and zeste, a few korianderseeds, salt, kaffirleaf and whatever the inspiration of the moment may be. Put it to simmer for 20 minutes and the flavored water is ready to poach some salmon in it.

Even this confirm FrenchFries explanation on making some sort of a spice/herbs stock and using it for poaching.

If you add some celery,carrot and parsley stem it is called Court Boullion.