The Gentle Art of Poaching
The Gentle Art of Poaching
Delicate proteins like fish and eggs respond well to kind treatment, like being cooked in liquid kept just below boiling point. Poached, in other words.
The principle is the same in every case - keep the liquid simmering; don’t let it boil; be patient.
For eggs, it works like this:
Put an inch of water in the bottom of a sautй pan (which is a skillet with high sides) and bring it to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and add Pioneer PDP-5080XA some salt and a tablespoon of vinegar, which helps to hold the egg white together.
The liquid is simmering when the surface seems to quiver without any bubbles breaking.
Now crack a very fresh egg into a saucer or similar shallow LG KU990 dish, and then slide it gently into the water. It will take about five minutes to cook.
You can serve it straight away by lifting it out with a slotted spatula and resting it briefly on some kitchen towel to drain off excess water.
You can also drop it into arizona faux painters iced water to keep for later. Once again you’ve prepared something in advance which is there when you need it.
You can reheat poached eggs, by the way. Just lower them into hot water for about half a minute.
Fish
If eggs, why not fish?
No reason at all. You can poach fish in exactly the same way, usi
ng water, wine, stock or milk. Solid fish like cod respond best to this treatment, but any fish can be cooked in the same way.
And now for the smart bit :0) If you pre-heat the poaching liquid, put the fish in a shallow tray, add the liquid and put the whole lot under a hot broiler, you will achieve a number of things;
Now take the next step up in excellence - poached salmon or trout for lunch!
First you’ll need something to cook it in. A fish kettle is ideal of course, but expensive for a dish you may not cook that often. I use a large, oval casserole dish that will also cook pot roasts, whole chickens and so on.
Whole fish are easily poached in a bouillon made up of water (enough to cover the fish), some slices of onion, two or three peppercorns, a bay leaf and SAMSUNG CE283GNR some vermouth. How much? How much do you like vermouth?
About a wine glass full.
Now bring all this to the boil on top of the stove, turn off the heat, slide the cleaned fish into the hot liquid, cover and leave overnight. In the morning it will be perfectly cooked.
Lifting the fish out can sometimes be a little tricky, but with care you can manage it. I дизайн пришкольного участка use my hands and I strongly advise you to do the same. It’s much easier to spread your fingers under the fish than a rigid spatula.
You’ll find the skin peels off easily and you can dress the fish with cucumber or mayonnaise or nokia 5800 express music whatever takes your fancy. So simple. Such a stunning result.
And don’t forget to make your own mayonnaise which, as everyone knows, is a very tricky thing to do.
Don’t Agfa 06852 believe a word of it. Forget the stories you may have heard and follow me (as well as Keith Floyd who taught me this trick).
Put two eggs in the goblet of a blender. Add a pinch of salt and a dessertspoon of vinegar. Switch on.
With the motor running, drizzle SAMSUNG CE-1175 ER-S the oil of your choice (I use grape-seed oil) into the top of the blender until you achieve the required result. You’ll use about half a pint of oil. If the mixture is too thick, simply add a little hot water and whisk again.
Tip: Avoid СВЧ SAMSUNG MW-87 olive oil! Yes I know what it says in the recipe books and if you like mayonnaise with a bitter flavor, ignore me. But I promise you your guests will not тату be asking for seconds if you do :0)
Copyright © Tingira Publishing 2004 All Rights Reserved
|
Michael Sheridan is an acknowledged authority and published writer on cooking matters. His website at http://thecoolcook.com contains a wealth of information, hints, tips and recipes for busy home cooks. |
The Chinese Year of the Dog
If you or your child was born under the Chinese year sign for the Dog your friends will be glad you were! Meeting people for the first time can be difficult for Dogs who tend to be cautious about trusting people. They take care to sum up other people but their instincts are usually correct.
Once a Dog has befriended you he will be a friend for ever. Dogs do not expect others to be perfect and will forgive a great deal rather than break a friendship.
Honest, sincere and loyal, Dogs have a tendency to underestimate themselves and are notorious worriers.
People born Pentax Optio 555 under this sign have strong humanitarian instincts and will work tirelessly to champion a cause they believe in. They have a strong instinct to help others and will rush to help any victim.
There are twelve Chinese year signs in the Chinese Zodiac. Unlike in our western astrology, in Chinese astrology each sign lasts for a year. Legend has it that as Buddha was about to depart the earth he summoned all the animals to say goodbye. Only twelve turned up so, to show his appreciation of their loyalty, he vowed that from then on each year would bear the name of one of the animals.
Chinese astrology is based on the Lunar Calendar. This means the Chinese New Year does not fall on the same day each year and can vary by as much as 3 weeks. So for babi
Leave a Reply