How Is Food Poached?
How is food poached?
Food is boiled or fried and then roasted or served hot. This is the common traditional way of cooking food but does not give us a clear idea of how it is cooked. Food that is boiled or fried is usually low in nutrients because of the low boiling temperature and the relatively little fat used. So what are some healthy cooking tips for preparing boiled food that maintains the nutritional value of the food?
Using a pressure cooker is a great option for cooking food as it saves time, adds little fat and doesn’t use a lot of oil or water. However, using these techniques isn’t advisable at home as they can destroy the original flavor of the food. The best method to poaching food is by poaching it in an air-tight container. Using a pressure cooker ensures that the food remains moist while it cooks. A small amount of water should be added to the food when boiling, which simmers the food along with releasing the steam from inside the lid.
Cooking by boiling means less food is cooked at once, which saves more energy and time. The lid of the pressure cooker keeps the food warm for cooking. As the food is heated, it expands in volume and expands even more when cook properly. This results in more nutrients in the food as there is less steaming, less fat and no salt.
When a pressure cooker is used for poaching, you need to add water to the measuring cup and bring it to boil. Mix all ingredients for the recipe including salt, sugar and butter or margarine. The food should be mixed thoroughly and then allowed to boil. When the boiling process is complete, you can now release the pressure and allow the mixture to cool. Once cooled, it should be added to the recipe.
When you cook food by pressure cooker, less water is used for cooking as compared to other methods. This results in lower energy and time spent on cooking as well. More nutrients are released when the food is cooked properly.
As the pressure cooker cooks the food, the steam is allowed to enter the food making it light and fluffy. The steam helps in breaking down the fat and releasing the nutrients and moisture present in the food.
Poaching is done when the food is allowed to reach room temperature after being tightly wrapped for an hour. Food that has been poached is easy to eat while still retaining its natural juices. You can make this delicious food by simply adding some poached apples to your meal or serve it with a salad. You can also make this light dish and serve it along with some brown rice.
For this delicious American dish you will need: 2 tablespoon of butter, 1 medium sized apple, medium-sized celery stick, medium sized onion, medium sized raisins, two tablespoons of flour. Put all these ingredients together and seal the lid. Turn on low heat and place the lid to ensure that the food is not overcooked. Allow the food to cook for approximately two hours. Serve the apple with some fresh balsamic vinegar along with your salads.
The question on how is food poached? This question often bewilders people because they tend to think that cooking process somehow affects the taste of food. In reality there are no other factors that affect the taste of food apart from the time at which the food is cooked. Water always boils at the same temperature as the food. So boiling water affects the temperature of the water and hence the temperature of the food as well.
If you have not noticed already, boiled water adds more flavour to the food than cool water. So if you are serving a boiled apple, be sure to also add some apple cider vinegar along with the water so that you can enhance the natural sweetness of the apple.
Once you have fully understood how is food poached, try changing the cooking ingredients occasionally. For example, you can add more garlic to the apple after boiling it. This can help in adding extra layers of freshness to your dish. It is advisable to add fresh herbs like thyme, Rosemary, basil and oregano to the boiled apple when cooking. These herbs will surely add extra flavour and aroma to the dish.
