DAY SIX POACHING AND SHALLOW POACHING

Poaching is an indirect technique used in moist cooking to tender items.

Today before production Chef showed a power point presentation over the Moist cooking techniques specifically the poaching technique.

There is no maillard reaction in any of the moist techniques and the main difference with the dry techniques is the color of the food after cooking which is au blanc (white).

Le Poacher means boiling, steaming, and stewing.

There is submerged poaching and shallow poaching. The submerged poaching or plain poaching is used for large items where the shallow poaching is used for small items.

In modern cooking there is a new technique called Sou Vie that is a vacuum sealed bag with the herbs and the item slow poached.

Poaching can be started in hot or in cold water for better control of the temperature.

The moist cooking temperatures are:

Poaching160°F to 185°F
Simmer 180°F to 208°F
Boiling 212°F

Steaming.- Is an indirect method were the heat circulates through convection

Today we will use foil to keep poaching products warm and acid such as vinegar and wine to help penetrate the food with heat.
The liquid where we poach is called court bouillon and it is a flavored liquid made with mirepoix, aromatic herbs and an acid (vinegar or wine or a combination of both).

Poached Salmon in court bouillon served with Pommes Gaufrette, steamed vegetables and sauce

For the Court Bouillon:
4C Water
1oz White wine vinegar (white wine may be used with equal parts to water)
1ea Onion, sliced
½ ea Carrot, peeled and sliced
½ ea Celery, sliced
1ea Bouquet garni
¼ t Crushed peppercorns
A/n Salt

5oz Fillet of salmon

We simmered the court bouillon, strained and placed in a pan with the salmon fillet to shallow poach. The fillet was with the skin side down and it was done in 3 minutes, then we turned to the other side for other 3 minutes.

Pommes Gaufrette
1ea Kennebec potato
Frying fat
Salt

With a mandolin we cut the desired waffle shape slices of potato and then we deep fried to doneness. Chef explained that if the potatoes stop bubbling means that they are overcooked.


Steamed Vegetables
2oz Broccoli
1oz Zucchini
1oz Gold bar squash
1oz Carrot slices
1oz Red bell pepper
tt S & P
A/n Melted butter

We cut the vegetables in quarters and slices depending on their shape and we placed them in a self made steamer above the bouillon, covered with foil.

Hollandaise
The sauce was done with clarified butter, lemon and egg yolk, seasoned with salt and pepper without cayenne this time.


Sole Vin Blanc, 1 # Flat fish
A/n Butter
1ea Shallots, minced
2 oz White wine
½ C Fish or chicken stock
½ C Fish Velouté
2 oz Heavy cream
1 T Butter, cold for mounting sauce
tt Salt
tt White pepper
tt Lemon juice

The fish fillets were spread with salmon mousse and then rolled in and held with toothpicks. In a pan we placed brunoise shallot and wine


mixed grain pilaf,
¼ C Converted long grain white rice
¼ C Wild rice
2 T Flax seed
¼ C Onion, macedoine
A/n Butter
We cooked separatedly the wild rice from the pilaf. When the pilaf was ready we added the wild rice, the toasted flax seed and it was served with the fish fillets au vin.

1 Red onion, large, peeled and thinly sliced
1 T Butter (more if onion is very large)
tt S & P
1 T Sugar
1 Thyme, sprig
½ C Red wine
1 T Red wine vinegar

tourney, carrots, and sauce supreme


Sauce Making:
Hollandaise
A/n Water
3ea egg yolks
1# butter, clarified
tt lemon juice
tt salt
tt cayenne pepper

Sauce Supreme
Making a Cuisson

From the above dishes Chef liked the hollandaise sauce a lot. My favorite was the sole vin blanc because the fish presentation was nice although my fish had a small undercooked part.
It was important to learn that the fish plumps when is ready so that is a sign that we can watch for. A tip from Chef was to remove the skin part of the salmon once it is cooked which really facilitates the operation.
Also we learned that the court bouillon has vinegar or any acid to facilitate the firmness of the meat. But the vinegar is bad for steaming greens because it makes them brown in color.

HOMEWORK DUE TODAY

Poaching Chapter Questions 3, 4 and 5 of the Book.
3.- Which side of the fish fillet is the presentation side?
The most attractive side of the fish, which is then browned for presentation.
4.- What techniques can you use for lifting whole poached fish out of court bouillon without breaking it or damaging its appearance?
Start the fish in cold water to cook evenly, then it can be used a specially design basket for poaching, or to place the fish on a cheese cloth to remove easily or tied loosely to a board.

5.- What temperatures are best for poaching fish? 160°F will be a good temperature for fish that will not overcook.

Pacific Dover Sole
(Solea vulgaris vulgaris)
Physical characteristics: U.S. Dover Sole is actually in the flounder family. A deep water flatfish, it has a long slender body that reaches between 12 to 30 inches. Dover has an especially slimy skin and is sometimes referred to as Slime Sole. It is a right-eyed fish with both eyes on top of it's head. It's top side is brown to blend in with the ocean bottom.
Seasonality: The season in the lower 48 states and Canada is open year-round, but is regulated by monthly trip limits. Alaska sets a season which runs in three, four month periods. Very rarely does the quota get met, as the season closes early, due to the by catch of Halibut.
Major catch areas: Alaska, California, Canada, Oregon, Washington.
Harvest method: Dover Sole is landed by trawlers and mostly at night, when it comes out of the sand where it buries itself during the day.
Flavor/texture profile: Dover Sole has a mild, sweet flavor. The texture is firm and lean. Raw meat is glistening white and stays white when cooked.
5 classics preparations of Sole from Escoffier’s Cookbook and name the ingredients that make them different.
Sole Meniere.- Seasoned fish dredge in flour placed in a pan with butter to cook until browned, served with sprinkled lemon juice, and light browned butter.
Fillets of Fish Dore.- Same recipe, serve without lemon juice. Just place on the side as garnish.
Trout Meunlere.- Basic recipe, then dip the fish in Milk before dredging in flour to form a better crust.
Fish Saute Amandine.- Prepare basic recipe, brown sliced almonds in butter for sauce.
Fish Saute Grenobloise.- Basic recipe, then garnish fish with capers, and diced peeled lemon sections and parsley before pouring the brown butter.
Sauteed Soft-Shell Crabs.- Prepare basic recipe then serve without other garnishment.

Differences between Poaching and Shallow Poaching.

Shallow Poaching is used for small items, where are partially covered with liquid. The liquid then can be used to make a sauce.

Poaching is cooking by total immersion in a liquid called bouillon. It is used for larger items and the liquid is not used for sauce.