Cooking fish doesn’t have to be challenging. Yes, depending on the species, fish can be delicate and easy to mess up if you don’t know what you’re doing. However, with a little practice and research, you’ll find yourself whipping up delicious seafood dishes in no time.
Let’s go over a cooking technique that sounds intimidating but is fantastic once you get the hang of it: poaching.
What Is Poached Fish?
To poach means to slowly simmer food in a liquid at a low temperature until it is cooked. Poaching is fantastic, especially for delicate foods like fish, because it is a gentle and gradual way to cook. You don’t have to fear drying the fish out because it retains moisture and adds flavor without adding fat.
It’s also surprisingly easy, as all you need is a pot of water or some kind of stock to cook, though a rack of some kind for the fish to lay on in the pot is also recommended, as it makes removing the finished fish easier. There are also special fish poaching pots out there with handled racks included if you decide this is your new go-to cooking method.
Good Fish to Poach
Poaching is an extremely versatile cooking technique when it comes to fish. It’s great for lean fish like tilapia, cod, flounder, and haddock, as well as fatty, meatier fish like salmon. The key is to make sure the liquid fully covers the fish and doesn’t come to a boil. Fish of all species is perfectly cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 140F, so keep the water at that temperature until the fish turns translucent. At this temperature, the fish will never overcook, even if you leave the fish in the liquid a little longer than necessary.
Basic Fillet Poaching Steps
Score the fish
The first step is to take a sharp knife and make a series of shallow, diagonal cuts on the skin side of the fish fillets. These cuts, known as scoring, prevent the fillet from curling during the poaching process.
Prepare the Poaching Liquid
Prepare one gallon of whatever liquid you’ve chosen to poach your fish in and allow it to cool. This can be water, court bouillon, butter and wine, broth, or any other aromatic liquid. In your poaching pan or soup pot, bring it to a simmer of 140F to prevent overcooking. Don’t let the liquid boil – at this temperature, you shouldn’t see many bubbles but there will be a gentle steam rising off the liquid.
Add the Fillets
When the liquid is at the proper temperature, gently add the fish. The liquid should fully cover the fillets.
Cook and Serve
Depending on the fish, cook between 4-5 minutes, using a thermometer to check that the fillet’s internal temperature has reached 140F. Once done, carefully remove the fish from the poaching liquid. Put your cooked fish on a plate, add your chosen sauce and sides, and dig in!
Poaching fish sounds fancy and time-consuming, but it’s really a quick and easy way to cook your fish to perfection. Grab some of our sustainably sourced fish fillets and give it a try.
