Poaching Chicken Breasts
I have worked for a long time to find a foolproof method of poaching chicken breasts which will give them flavor and allow them to be used for dishes and in salads.
I have found that the following method gives wonderful flavor and also allows you to store them in the refrigerator for a few days without any loss of moisture or flavor.
Ingredients
Ingredients
1 large stock pot with a lid
8 Boneless Chicken Breasts with skin
16 cups of Water
2 Lemons, juiced, and rinds set aside
10 whole Black Peppercorns
2 Bay Leaves
1 cup of Sherry
6 sprigs of fresh Tarragon
1 stalk of Celery, loosely chopped, leaves and all.
1 Carrot, loosely chopped
1 Tbsp Salt
Add all ingredients into the stock pot except the chicken, and bring to a boil over high heat. Gently add the chicken breasts into the poaching mixture and bring back up to a soft boil.
Cover, turn off the heat and allow to sit undisturbed for 30-40 minutes. Gently remove the chicken breasts and cool and then either use immediately or refrigerate.
Hint: The poaching liquid can now be quickly worked into an easy chicken stock. Just add halved onion and it can be reduced down to create a mild chicken stock. This will be a very low fat stock, as chicken breasts were used, so it’s perfect for making soups, risotto and other dishes were the extra fat is not needed and a weak broth is ideal.
The Louisville Chef 