I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
liquid....tia....Sharon

On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 19:09:57 -0500, biig > wrote:

>
> I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
>poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
>season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
>liquid....tia....Sharon

Depending on the final dish you could season the broth for Chinese
(green onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce), Mexican (cumin, chilis or
chili powder, cumin, onion, garlic), or traditional American/European
(garlic, carrot, celery or celery salt, onion, and, if your store
carries them, parsnips).

One tip I picked up from one of the cooking shows, can't remember
which, that has always produced moist, non-stringly poached chicken
was to add all the ingredients to the cold broth or water and slowly
bring it all up to a very low simmer, partially covered. Never allow
it to boil which causes the protein in the chicken to seize up and
become tough, dry, and stringy. Cook for 20 -30 minutes depending on
the size of the chicken cut.

biig wrote:
> I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
> poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
> season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
> liquid....tia....Sharon

Let's season your breasts and double wrap in plastic (I like to massage
your breasts with pat of butter). Toss in plain cold water and bring
to the boil, immediately lower heat to no bubbles... five minutes
they're ready. Remove your plastic wrapped breasts, allow to become
ice cold in fridge (boing... hmm, those things can poke an eye out),
unwrap and slice... no flavor lost to poaching liquid. Need any
further assistance with your breasts don't be shy.

Sheldon

In article >, biig > wrote:

> I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
> poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
> season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
> liquid....tia....Sharon

Both. I like the broth idea.
--
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 1-15-2006, RIP Connie Drew

In article >, biig > wrote:

> I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
> poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
> season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
> liquid....tia....Sharon

Season lightly before so you can use the broth for soup or sauce
afterwards, then add additional seasoning when it's done. :-)

I've been doing more poaching lately.
It makes for more tender meat and my housemate has some dental issues.
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

In article >,
J. Eric Durbin > wrote:

> On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 19:09:57 -0500, biig > wrote:
>
> >
> > I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
> >poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
> >season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
> >liquid....tia....Sharon
>
> Depending on the final dish you could season the broth for Chinese
> (green onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce), Mexican (cumin, chilis or
> chili powder, cumin, onion, garlic), or traditional American/European
> (garlic, carrot, celery or celery salt, onion, and, if your store
> carries them, parsnips).
>
> One tip I picked up from one of the cooking shows, can't remember
> which, that has always produced moist, non-stringly poached chicken
> was to add all the ingredients to the cold broth or water and slowly
> bring it all up to a very low simmer, partially covered. Never allow
> it to boil which causes the protein in the chicken to seize up and
> become tough, dry, and stringy. Cook for 20 -30 minutes depending on
> the size of the chicken cut.

You can also poach in the microwave.

Works a treat for salmon, and also for boneless skinless chicken thighs.
I usually grill breast meat so have not tried nuking that.
--
Om.

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." -Jack Nicholson

Damn! From the subject I had hoped you were going to tell us how to
do it without getting caught!

In article >, biig > wrote:
>
> I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
>poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
>season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
>liquid....tia....Sharon

Cheers, Phred.

--
LID

Phred wrote:
>
> Damn! From the subject I had hoped you were going to tell us how to
> do it without getting caught!

LOL....
>
> In article >, biig > wrote:
> >
> > I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
> >poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
> >season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
> >liquid....tia....Sharon
>

Sheldon wrote:
>
> biig wrote:
> > I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
> > poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
> > season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
> > liquid....tia....Sharon
>
> Let's season your breasts and double wrap in plastic (I like to massage
> your breasts with pat of butter). Toss in plain cold water and bring
> to the boil, immediately lower heat to no bubbles... five minutes
> they're ready. Remove your plastic wrapped breasts, allow to become
> ice cold in fridge (boing... hmm, those things can poke an eye out),
> unwrap and slice... no flavor lost to poaching liquid. Need any
> further assistance with your breasts don't be shy.
>
> Sheldon

Well....extracting the good stuff and ignoring the
nonsense......LOL.. I'll try poaching them that way. By the way, I saw
plastic wrap being used in a moderate oven on "Cook Like a Chef" show on
foodnetwork Canada..

OmManiPadmeOmelet wrote:
>
> In article >,
> J. Eric Durbin > wrote:
>
> > On Wed, 18 Jan 2006 19:09:57 -0500, biig > wrote:
> >
> > >
> > > I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
> > >poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
> > >season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
> > >liquid....tia....Sharon
> >
> > Depending on the final dish you could season the broth for Chinese
> > (green onion, garlic, ginger, soy sauce), Mexican (cumin, chilis or
> > chili powder, cumin, onion, garlic), or traditional American/European
> > (garlic, carrot, celery or celery salt, onion, and, if your store
> > carries them, parsnips).
> >
> > One tip I picked up from one of the cooking shows, can't remember
> > which, that has always produced moist, non-stringly poached chicken
> > was to add all the ingredients to the cold broth or water and slowly
> > bring it all up to a very low simmer, partially covered. Never allow
> > it to boil which causes the protein in the chicken to seize up and
> > become tough, dry, and stringy. Cook for 20 -30 minutes depending on
> > the size of the chicken cut.
>
> You can also poach in the microwave.
>
> Works a treat for salmon, and also for boneless skinless chicken thighs.
> I usually grill breast meat so have not tried nuking that.
> --
> Om.
> Thanks for all the replies. I'll pick one and see how it turns out............Sharon

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
> biig > looking for trouble
>
>> I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
>>poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
>>season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
>>liquid....tia....Sharon
>
> Chicken broth is a good idea. Something I had not thought of. I don't
> poach chicken too often but if memory serves, I season the broth (onion,
> carrot, celery, garlic... whatever you like) and poach the chicken in it
> later. You can always reseason the breasts after poaching.

And the broth is enriched by the cooking. I buy big packages of
boneless, skinless thighs and poach them. Pop them in the fridge as
snacks, to use in other dishes and generally have available. Last about
a week that way. The broth becomes a wonderful soup base into which I
cheerfully fling all manner of goodies for different dishes - egg drops,
sliced chicken, veggie stuff, pastas and rices, cheeses and creams...

Pastorio

In article >,
"Bob (this one)" > wrote:

> Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
> > biig > looking for trouble
> >
> >> I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
> >>poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
> >>season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
> >>liquid....tia....Sharon
> >
> > Chicken broth is a good idea. Something I had not thought of. I don't
> > poach chicken too often but if memory serves, I season the broth (onion,
> > carrot, celery, garlic... whatever you like) and poach the chicken in it
> > later. You can always reseason the breasts after poaching.
>
> And the broth is enriched by the cooking. I buy big packages of
> boneless, skinless thighs and poach them. Pop them in the fridge as
> snacks, to use in other dishes and generally have available. Last about
> a week that way. The broth becomes a wonderful soup base into which I
> cheerfully fling all manner of goodies for different dishes - egg drops,
> sliced chicken, veggie stuff, pastas and rices, cheeses and creams...
>
> Pastorio

So when you poach in broth, I take it you only do it long enough to cook
the chicken. How long might that be? Or, how do you know how long to
simmer the chicken?

I ask cause it seems to me that if you simmered the chicken long enough
it would lose most of its flavor ... like chicken does when I make
broth. Or maybe this isn't an issue since you are using a relatively
small amount of water?

I remain, confused as ever,
Dave W.

--
Living in the Ozarks
For email, edu will do.

Regardless of what doesn't happen, there's always someone who knew it wouldn't.
R. Henry

Dave W. wrote:
>
> So when you poach in broth, I take it you only do it long enough to cook
> the chicken. How long might that be? Or, how do you know how long to
> simmer the chicken?
>
> I ask cause it seems to me that if you simmered the chicken long enough
> it would lose most of its flavor ... like chicken does when I make
> broth. Or maybe this isn't an issue since you are using a relatively
> small amount of water?
>
> I remain, confused as ever,
> Dave W.

Simmering is not poaching, it's simmering.

Even if chicken is properly poached (correct temperature) the chicken
has to be giving up its flavor, the chicken gives to the liquid but the
liquid gives essentially nothing to the chicken. If you wanted you
could steam chicken with a court boullion like fish is cooked... but
what is called a fish poacher is really a fish steamer, because a rack
is used and no part of the fish should be submerged in the liquid, the
liquid is flavored only to lightly perfume the fish, really adds little
to the fish, in fact takes more than it adds.

Proper poaching results in very tender chicken, that is the entire
purpose of poaching chicken... if simmered the chicken will toughen.

See my post way earlier in this thread to learn how to properly poach
chicken, without the chicken giving up anything, and where the chicken
is at the same time flavored with it's own seasonings.... it's
essentially whereby a terrine is poached, only the plastic film
substitutes for the terrine mold. In fact if you had more chicken you
could build a fabulous terrine of chicken aspic.

You're either making poached chicken or you're making chicken stock,
you can't have it both ways... not with the same chicken.

The method I described results in very flavorful tender chicken, pretty
much the same method used for preparing kreplach/wontons, but the
plastic film is like removeable noodle dough. Personally I would grind
up those blah chunks of chicken, season well, and stuff a package of
wonton wrappers... I think plain old poached chicken on its own is
pretty boring eating.. needs some sort of very rich cream sauce.

Sheldon

Dave W. wrote:
> In article >,
> "Bob (this one)" > wrote:
>
>
>>Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:
>>
>>>biig > looking for trouble
>>>
>>>
>>>> I have a couple of boneless and skinless chicken breasts I'm going to
>>>>poach for salad or sandwiches. Would you season the liquid or wait and
>>>>season the finished chicken. I thought I'd use chicken broth for the
>>>>liquid....tia....Sharon
>>>
>>>Chicken broth is a good idea. Something I had not thought of. I don't
>>>poach chicken too often but if memory serves, I season the broth (onion,
>>>carrot, celery, garlic... whatever you like) and poach the chicken in it
>>>later. You can always reseason the breasts after poaching.
>>
>>And the broth is enriched by the cooking. I buy big packages of
>>boneless, skinless thighs and poach them. Pop them in the fridge as
>>snacks, to use in other dishes and generally have available. Last about
>>a week that way. The broth becomes a wonderful soup base into which I
>>cheerfully fling all manner of goodies for different dishes - egg drops,
>>sliced chicken, veggie stuff, pastas and rices, cheeses and creams...
>>
>>Pastorio
>
> So when you poach in broth, I take it you only do it long enough to cook
> the chicken. How long might that be? Or, how do you know how long to
> simmer the chicken?

I pick up pieces and squeeze them. When they've lost their jelly-like
feel, they're done. Takes about 10 minutes to do boneless thighs, or a
bit more if you load up the poaching liquid. But you're not simmering
them for a protracted time. You're bringing the flesh up to about 160°F
so it's just cooked. If squeezing isn't what you want to do, pull out a
piece, lay it on a plate and cut a slice into it to see what the center
of the meat looks like. It should be moist and shiny with the tiniest
bit of pinkness in the liquid. Residual heat will finish cooking it.

Some amount of fat will come out of the chicken, and, if you do 36 or 40
pieces at a time, some small amount of gelatin will also be rendered;
enough to add a little body to the broth.

> I ask cause it seems to me that if you simmered the chicken long enough
> it would lose most of its flavor ... like chicken does when I make
> broth. Or maybe this isn't an issue since you are using a relatively
> small amount of water?

You're making it too complicated. Bring a fluid to a simmer (about
190°F) drop pieces of chicken in and stir once every two minutes of so.
Test after about 8 minutes to see how far along you've come. The amount
of liquid is irrelevant. 10 or 12 minutes in 1000 gallons of simmering
water will give you the same finished result with the chicken.

Pastorio

Sheldon wrote:
> Dave W. wrote:
>
>>So when you poach in broth, I take it you only do it long enough to cook
>>the chicken. How long might that be? Or, how do you know how long to
>>simmer the chicken?
>>
>>I ask cause it seems to me that if you simmered the chicken long enough
>>it would lose most of its flavor ... like chicken does when I make
>>broth. Or maybe this isn't an issue since you are using a relatively
>>small amount of water?
>>
>>I remain, confused as ever,
>>Dave W.
>
>
> Simmering is not poaching, it's simmering.

Poaching is done in simmering water. *Immersed in the liquid* You're
trying to make a comparison with no real distinction.

Martha says, "To poach chicken: Submerge it in liquid (stock or water)
that is just below the boiling point, then cook at the barest simmer.
Aromatics like whole peppercorns, a clove-studded onion, celery,
carrots, or fresh herbs can be added to the water or broth for
additional flavor."
<http://tinyurl.com/9h458>

> Even if chicken is properly poached (correct temperature) the chicken
> has to be giving up its flavor, the chicken gives to the liquid but the
> liquid gives essentially nothing to the chicken.

Never done it huh...? Try poaching a piece of chicken in very salty
water. Let us know if you can taste the salt. Likewise, a strong garlic
flavor. For the brief cook time it's in the liquid, it has no
discernible flavor loss. And the chicken picks up flavors from the
liquid. It's how we did the chicken for chicken salad and soups in my
last country club. Hundreds of pounds of chicken cooked stovetop every
week. Reused the broth until it was very tasty - maybe five cooking
times to each batch. Then it became a soup or sauce base.

> If you wanted you
> could steam chicken with a court boullion like fish is cooked... but
> what is called a fish poacher is really a fish steamer, because a rack
> is used and no part of the fish should be submerged in the liquid, the
> liquid is flavored only to lightly perfume the fish, really adds little
> to the fish, in fact takes more than it adds.

Utter nonsense. Written like someone who has never poached a fish. The
"rack" in a fish poacher is to lower the fish into and lift the fish out
of the liquid in which it has been immersed for poaching. Here's what
one looks like: <http://tinyurl.com/93ts6>

Note that the bottom of the pan is deep enough to accommodate the whole
fish and be immersed, while the top is shallow and is merely a cover.
Here's a bunch of fish-poaching recipes:
<http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,poached_fish,FF.html>

Steaming is a totally different procedure.

> Proper poaching results in very tender chicken, that is the entire
> purpose of poaching chicken... if simmered the chicken will toughen.

If simmered for a long time, it'll toughen. For the 10 or 12 minutes it
takes to poach a thigh, it's not enough time to toughen because the
temperature of the meat won't get high enough to toughen it.

> See my post way earlier in this thread to learn how to properly poach
> chicken, without the chicken giving up anything, and where the chicken
> is at the same time flavored with it's own seasonings.... it's
> essentially whereby a terrine is poached, only the plastic film
> substitutes for the terrine mold. In fact if you had more chicken you
> could build a fabulous terrine of chicken aspic.

<LOL> Here are a few of the 164,000 hits for poaching chicken from
Google. <http://tinyurl.com/bh7mz>

"...a terrine is poached..." Poaching is cooking foods directly in a
liquid. Cooking the contents of a terrine while it sits in water is
water-bath cooking, not poaching at all.

Wrapping it in plastic and dropping that in hot liquid is a sort of
steaming in its own juices; hardly poaching as the meat doesn't come in
contact with the cooking liquid. But all that fuss is unnecessary if you
know what you're doing. And the piece of chicken comes out looking like
a torpedo. Restaurants do that sort of thing with forcemeats and
sausages, sometimes surrounding it with thin slices of solid-muscle meat.

> You're either making poached chicken or you're making chicken stock,
> you can't have it both ways... not with the same chicken.

But you can add a bit of flavor to stock or broth by poaching chicken in
it. It's a standard restaurant technique. The chicken meat flavor stays
good.

> The method I described results in very flavorful tender chicken, pretty
> much the same method used for preparing kreplach/wontons, but the
> plastic film is like removeable noodle dough.

<LOL> Right. Removable dough...

> Personally I would grind
> up those blah chunks of chicken, season well, and stuff a package of
> wonton wrappers... I think plain old poached chicken on its own is
> pretty boring eating.. needs some sort of very rich cream sauce.

Chacun a son gout...

We slice them and use them in sandwiches, LTM, heavy rustic loaf. Chop
coarsely into soup. Cut a pita in half, tuck a thigh in each half and
drizzle oil and vinegar in there. Fresh basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
Slice the chicken for open-faced sandwiches covered with the gravy made
from poaching liquid. Cut into chunks and add to a basic marinara sauce
for pasta. Go to the fridge at midnight needing something to hold you
over until the morning... pull a piece or two, stand at the sink and
satisfy the body and soul at the same time. Look out the window at the
moon...

Pastorio

In article >,
"Bob (this one)" > wrote:

> Dave W. wrote:
> > In article >,
> > "Bob (this one)" > wrote:
> >
<snip>
> >
> > So when you poach in broth, I take it you only do it long enough to cook
> > the chicken. How long might that be? Or, how do you know how long to
> > simmer the chicken?
>
> I pick up pieces and squeeze them. ......

<snip nice chicken poaching tutorial>

>The amount
> of liquid is irrelevant. 10 or 12 minutes in 1000 gallons of simmering
> water will give you the same finished result with the chicken.
>
Ah, geez. I shoulda knowed that!

Thanks Bob,

With your continued instruction I may yet learn how to cook. ;^)

Thanks!
Dave W.

--
Living in the Ozarks
For email, edu will do.

Regardless of what doesn't happen, there's always someone who knew it wouldn't.
R. Henry