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Culinary Arts & Cooking vocabulary · Cooking Methods & Techniques

Poach

Meaning in culinary arts & cooking, with examples

/poʊtʃ/verbCore term

In culinary arts & cooking, poach means: To cook food gently in liquid that is hot but not bubbling, roughly 70–85°C, such as water, stock, wine or milk.

In Turkish: poşe etmek, kısık ısıda suda pişirmek

How it is used

Used for eggs, fish, chicken breast and fruit such as pears. The liquid is often flavoured with herbs, wine or spices. Poached eggs are a classic test of a breakfast cook. Poaching is gentler than simmering.

Example sentences

  1. Poach the salmon in court bouillon for about eight minutes.

  2. We poach the eggs to order; never in advance.

Common collocations

  • poached egg
  • poached pears
  • poach gently
  • poaching liquid
  • poach in stock
  • simmerTo cook food gently in liquid kept just below boiling point, so that only small bubbles rise slowly to the surface.
  • boilTo heat a liquid until it bubbles strongly, or to cook food in such a liquid. Water boils at 100°C at sea level.
  • steamTo cook food in the hot vapour rising from boiling water, without the food touching the water itself.
  • sous videA method of cooking food sealed in a vacuum bag in a water bath held at an exact, usually low, temperature for a long time. From French, meaning "under vacuum".

More terms: Cooking Methods & Techniques

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