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Hot Herb Trends: Herbal Poaching
One of spring’s hottest trends right now is herbal poaching. Springtime s time to focus on heath and freshness and the latest craze and trend has everything wrapped into one. Herbs have a gentle way of flavoring the broth that poaching and in the spring, there are so many fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits to choose from, there are many ways to incorporate poaching into your meals! The secret to perfecting the technique for maximum flavor is to compose your simmering liquid that is the “court boillion,” to a palatably balanced blend of an acid, an aromatic or flavoring agent and the item to be poached! The optimal range of heat varies between 160 to 180° F. Poaching is used to cook foods that are sensitive to extreme conditions that can become dry or fall apart easily, like eggs, poultry, fish and even fruit, each with their own favorite way of being flavored. Poaching is a very classic technique and with this trend it’s given a unique creative & herbal twist. Make poaching a part of your weekly spring cooking repertoire, adding flavor and keeping out the fat, this is a trend we enjoy following!
Some great spring poaching ideas are:
Ginger Lemon Grass Poached Chicken with Cilantro, Thai Basil and Baby Bok Choy
Lemon-Herb Poached Fish with Herbed Pesto
Lemon Mint Poached Spring Peas
Tarragon Cardamom Poached Rhubarb & Strawberries in Cinnamon Syrup with Crème Fresh
Lemon Thyme Syrup Poached Pineapple Over Pound Cake