rosefox: A cheerful chef made out of ginger. (cooking)
Asher Rose Fox ([personal profile] rosefox) wrote in [community profile] subtlehouse2015-01-05 08:46 pm
Entry tags:

Poached chicken

Note: Many liquids can be used for poaching, including broth, stock, water, juice, beer, and wine. Tried-and-true variations include vegetable or chicken broth on its own; apple cider, apple slices, and bay leaves; diluted orange juice, tarragon, and thyme; and chicken broth, white wine, and thyme. Experiment!

Ingredients

3 lb bone-in chicken parts, with or without skin, either all white meat or all dark meat
1.5 qt (48 oz) liquid
12 sprigs of fresh herbs, or 3 tsp dried herbs (optional)
0.5 c fresh or dried fruit, roughly chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper

Equipment

Stove (1 burner)
Large pan with lid
Meat thermometer (optional)
Slotted spoon

Instructions

0) Mise en place. Gather your ingredients and tools. Rinse fresh herbs (no need to chop them--they can even stay on the stem). If using a thermometer, place it in the thickest part of the largest piece of chicken.

1) Prepare the chicken. Place any herbs or fruit in the pan in a single layer. Place the chicken in the pan, again in a single layer. Pour liquid over the chicken until it's completely covered. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2) Poach the chicken. Cover the pan with the lid. Heat over high heat just until the liquid begins to bubble. If cooking white meat, turn the heat off immediately. If cooking dark meat, turn the heat down to maintain a gentle simmer for 5 minutes, then turn the heat off. Let the chicken rest in the hot liquid, with the lid on, for 20 to 40 minutes or until completely cooked. (The length of time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces.)

3) Serve and store. Use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken from the poaching liquid. Discard any chicken skin and the remaining fruit and herbs. Serve chicken pieces whole, or shred the meat off the bones and use it in another recipe. The chicken will keep in the fridge for several days. You can also save the poaching liquid for making soup, or for a future batch of poaching (best to only reuse it once). Most poaching liquid will keep in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer indefinitely.

Sources:
http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/poached-chicken-thighs
http://www.livestrong.com/article/448962-how-to-poach-chicken-thighs/
http://www.melindalee.com/resources/reference-center/poach-chicken/