How To Poach Fish

Photo: flickr user Eli Hodapp

Ingredients

1 1/2 quarts Water

1 tablespoon Pickling Spice mixed

4 whl Bay Leaves

4 Lemon Slices

Preparation

If you can boil water, you can poach a fish fillet. It's that easy. One mistake you should guard against is overcooking the fillet. Even though poaching is a moist way to cook fish, it is important to halt the process as soon as the fish is fully cooked. Most fish cooked longer then 30 min usually turns out dry, with a strong, unpleasant odor.

An aromatic poaching liquid greatly enhances the flavor, helps keep cooking odors pleasant and totally eliminates the need for adding calorie-laden oil or butter. A flavorful poaching stock can easily be brewed by boiling water for a short time with a variety of herbs and spices and sliced lemon, lime or orange.

Whole fish like trout or flounder can be succesfully poached in a roasting

Pan on top of the stove. But smaller, more delicate portions of fish fillet is more practical for family meals. Tail-end fillets of salmon are

Boneles, poach quickly and are readily available. But you'll find most varieties of fish - flounder, sole, trout, halibut, cod, red snapper, rock

Fish - are also superb when prepared using the poaching method.

Here is a a fail-safe technique for poaching fish fillets using herbs, spices and citrus.

To make a flavorful poaching stock, pour water into a large straight-sided

Skillet or elecric frying pan. Add mixed pickling spices, bay leaves and lemon slices. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 5 min.

Rinse the fish fillet (skin on or off) under cold water. Place fish flat,

Skin side down, in the boiling stock. Be sure liquid just barely covers the fillet. Add more hot water if necessary. Reduce the heat to med.

Avoid a rolling boil now or the fish will overcook and break apart. Fish should just barely simmer, with no bubbles, for 10 - 15 min, depending on the thickness.

Remove skillet from heat and promptly lift fillet from hot liquid, using a

Large spatula (with holes) or two smaller spatulas. Do not allow fish to sit in hot liquid and overcook.

Serve poached fish fillet hot, right out of the poaching bouillon. Or chill them for a next-day lucheon buffet. Quickly wrap freshly poached fillets in sheets of plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Allow to cool onthe counter for 10 min, then place inthe refrigerator and chill up to 24 hrs. Remove from refrigerator 20 min before serving and garnish with lemon slices.