--- title: "Poach: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Poaching cooks food gently in liquid kept just below a simmer, around 70 to 85°C (160 to 185°F). Eggs, fish, chicken and fruit stay tender and moist." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/poach" --- # Poach Poaching cooks food gently in liquid kept just below a simmer, around 70 to 85°C (160 to 185°F). Eggs, fish, chicken and fruit stay tender and moist. Also called Poaching, Poached, Poached egg. To poach is to cook food in liquid that is hot but barely moving, usually 70 to 85°C (160 to 185°F). The surface of the liquid shivers, with only an occasional small bubble. This gentle heat cooks delicate foods without toughening them. Eggs, fish, chicken breasts, shrimp and pears are commonly poached, in water, stock, milk, wine or a [court bouillon](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/court-bouillon). ## How to do it For poached eggs: 1. Fill a wide pan with 7 to 8 cm (3 inches) of water and bring it to a bare [simmer](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/simmer). 2. Crack a very fresh egg into a fine sieve and let the thin, watery white drain off. Tip the egg into a small cup. 3. Lower the cup to the water and slide the egg in. 4. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the white is [set](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/set) and the yolk is still soft. 5. Lift out with a slotted spoon and blot on a paper towel. For chicken or fish: 1. Season the poaching liquid well. 2. Add the food so it is fully covered. 3. Keep it just below a simmer. Chicken breasts take 12 to 18 minutes, fish fillets 5 to 10. ## How to tell it is done Eggs: the white is opaque and firm, and the yolk wobbles when you nudge it. Fish turns opaque and flakes. Chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) inside. Fruit is tender when pierced with a knife. ## Why it works Proteins tighten and squeeze out moisture as they heat. Keeping the liquid below a boil means the outside does not get much hotter than the inside, so the food stays tender. The liquid also moves gently, which keeps fragile food in one piece. ## Common mistakes * Boiling. The food toughens, and bubbles tear eggs and fish apart. * Stale eggs. Their whites spread into wisps. Use the freshest eggs you have. * Unseasoned liquid. Poached food tastes flat. Salt the water or use stock. * Too much vinegar in egg water. A small splash is fine, but it is not needed with fresh eggs and can be tasted. * Cold food straight from the fridge into hot liquid. The outside overcooks before the middle warms. ## In recipes "Shallow-poach" means cooking in a small amount of liquid, often covered. "Deep-poach" means fully submerging the food. [Oil-poaching](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/oil-poach) uses oil instead of water. ## Recipes that use this technique 19 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/poachedpearswithyogurt-2.jpg)Poached Pears with Yogurtwww.skinnytaste.com · 35 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/poached-pears-with-yogurt/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Spaghetti-Carbonara-6.jpg)Spaghetti Carbonara Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/spaghetti-carbonara/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2021/03/poached-chicken-scaled.jpg)Poached Chickenwww.onceuponachef.com · 30 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/how-to/how-to-make-tender-poached-chicken.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Asparagus-and-Green-Lentils-with-Poached-Egg-1-7.jpg)Asparagus and Green Lentils with Poached Eggwww.skinnytaste.com · 30 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/asparagus-and-green-lentils-with-poached-egg/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Asparagus-Poached-Eggs-over-Pasta.jpg)Asparagus and Poached Eggs over Pastawww.skinnytaste.com · 15 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/asparagus-and-poached-eggs-over-pasta/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2020/01/thai-red-curry-chicken-1-1200x878.jpg)Thai Red Curry Chickenwww.onceuponachef.com · 30 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/thai-red-curry-chicken.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2024/04/shakshuka.jpg)Shakshuka (Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce)www.onceuponachef.com · 50 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/shakshuka.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Delallo-Tortellini-Shrimp2607.jpg)Chilled Italian Shrimp and Tortellini Saladwww.skinnytaste.com · 20 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/chilled-italian-shrimp-tortellini-pasta-salad/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Fettucini-with-Winter-Greens-and-Poaced-Egg-5.jpg)Fettuccini with Winter Greens and Poached Eggwww.skinnytaste.com · 20 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/fettuccini-with-winter-greens-and-poached-egg/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2024/04/Eggs-Benedict-Featured-Photo.png)Classic Eggs Benedictwww.onceuponachef.com · 60 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/eggs-benedict.html) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2024/04/Eggs-Benedict-18-scaled.jpg)Poached Eggswww.onceuponachef.com · 10 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/perfect-poached-eggs.html) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Changua-6.jpg)Changua (Colombian Milk and Egg Soup)www.skinnytaste.com · 20 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/changua/) ## Related terms * [SimmerA simmer is liquid kept just below boiling, with small, gentle bubbles rising to the surface. It cooks soups, stews and sauces without toughening them.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/simmer) * [Court bouillonCourt bouillon is a quick, acidic broth of water, wine or vinegar, vegetables and herbs, used for poaching fish and shellfish. It cooks in 20 minutes.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/court-bouillon) * [Oil-poachOil-poaching cooks food gently submerged in warm oil, well below frying heat. Fish turns silky and moist, and the oil can be reused for flavor.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/oil-poach) * [CoddleTo coddle is to cook food, usually eggs, gently in water just below a simmer. Coddled eggs have barely set whites and runny yolks, softer than soft-boiled.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/coddle) * [SetIn recipes, set means a liquid has firmed into a solid that holds its shape, as with custard, jam, jelly, eggs and chocolate. Here is how to check it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/set) [More in moist-heat cooking](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/moist-heat-cooking)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)