Poached Chicken- Simple Yet Delectable
While teaching a cooking class this past weekend, and preparing an Asian noodle bowl for the group, it came my attention that the art of poaching chicken has been lost somewhere in the quagmire of our complicated menus. A poached chicken breast, when done well, is not only easy and divine in its simplicity, it can also add a beautiful flavor to a dish- at least for those who eat chicken :) This poaching hack, can really be used in many different dishes, depending on the direction that you are going. The recipe below uses fresh garlic and ginger, which is great for virtually any Asian preparation, but you can easily use herbs such as tarragon or dill, spices such as fresh nutmeg, or even olive brine to add different subtle flavors to the chicken.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 organic chicken breasts
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 nob fresh ginger
- salt and pepper
PREPARATION
- Place chicken breasts in a heavy bottomed sauté pan.
- Add enough cold water to cover chicken breasts, about 1-inch over the breasts.
- Smash and peel garlic cloves and toss into pan; no need to chop.
- Peel ginger nob and then with peeler slice 8 o 9 pieces of the ginger into the water.
- Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Bring sauté pan to simmer, uncovered, over medium high heat.
- When simmering, turn stove off, cover pan immediately, and leave on burner for 20 minutes.
- Voila, after 20 minutes the chicken is done and delicious! Remove from sauté pan and slice or shred breast and enjoy or refrigerate for upto 5 days.
