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Moist-heat cooking · intermediate

Poaching

Cooking delicate food gently in liquid well below simmering point.

71 recipes use it

What it is

Poaching cooks food submerged in water, stock, milk, wine or syrup at a temperature where the liquid barely moves. It is used for eggs, fish, chicken breast and fruit.

Why cooks use it: Gentle heat keeps delicate proteins tender and moist and lets the poaching liquid flavour the food.

The science

Egg and fish proteins set at fairly low temperatures; keeping liquid below a simmer stops them tightening and squeezing out moisture. A little vinegar in egg-poaching water speeds the setting of egg white.

How heat moves into foodHow proteins set when cookedAcids and bases in cookingSous-vide science

Step by step

  1. Heat the poaching liquid (seasoned water, stock, milk or syrup) in a wide pan.

  2. Bring it to the target temperature: a few tiny bubbles on the base, no movement on the surface.

  3. Slide the food in gently.

  4. Hold the temperature, adjusting the heat as needed.

  5. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain.

Heat and timing

  • Poaching 70–85 °C · About 70–85 °C. Eggs usually around 80–85 °C; fish 70–80 °C.

Time: Eggs 3–4 minutes; fish fillets 6–10 minutes; chicken breast 12–18 minutes.

How you know it’s right

  • Liquid steaming with only a few tiny bubbles on the base
  • Fish flakes and turns opaque
  • Egg white set, yolk soft when pressed gently

Common mistakes

  • Letting it boil
  • Using old eggs whose whites spread
  • Overcrowding the pan

Troubleshooting

Wispy egg whites
Use fresh eggs, strain off the thin white in a sieve first, and lower the eggs in gently.
Chicken dry
Keep the liquid below 80 °C and pull the chicken at 74 °C.

Restaurant DNA

How professionals do it

Restaurants often poach eggs ahead, chill them in iced water, and reheat them in hot water for 30–60 seconds during service; fish is often poached in a court-bouillon or butter emulsion.

At home

Use a thermometer the first few times to learn what 80 °C looks like in your pan.

General professional practice — not any particular restaurant’s recipe.

Food safety

  • Poached chicken must reach 74 °C in the thickest part.

Practise it

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