This is the foolproof thanks to make the JUICIEST Poached Chicken you'll ever make. Guaranteed results, dead easy, cooks itself, this is often a cracker of a pigeon breast recipe that everybody should know!
Use the chicken for any recipe that involves cooked chicken – sandwiches, salads, pastas, pies, wraps and burritos. Slice it, dice it, shred it. It’s so succulent, it’s getting to blow your mind!
Poached Chicken
I desire poached chicken may be a life skill that everybody should know. But counting on how you set about it, it’s either dismally dry, impossible to swallow and completely flavourless.
OR it’s unbelievably succulent, with chicken flavour you never dreamt was possible, so tender then juicy you'll literally SEE the chicken juices sparkling on the surface of each slice.
See?
OK, so let’s get straight to the purpose – the way to make this poached chicken during a way that literally cooks itself, features a huge margin for error, and yields the foremost incredibly succulent poached chicken you'll ever have in your life!
How to poach chicken
- Use 250g / 8.5 oz pigeon breast that’s boneless and skinless
- Place in boiling water, cover, then immediately take it off the stove
- Leave for 20 minutes (up to 1 hour ok), then remove the chicken and slice/dice/shred
- Prepared to be BLOWN AWAY by how juicy the breast is!
Barely cooking right?? *She says, smugly*
It’s not on the stove. You don’t need a thermometer. You literally walk off and just leave it, knowing that it’s fine even for up to 1 hour – which I even have done countless times, lulled into a significant state of relaxation due to what proportion confidence I even have during this recipe!
What you would like to form poached chicken
Fundamentally, all you would like is pigeon breast . But if you’re meaning to use the chicken without adding many other flavours, it’s nice to feature some flavourings into the poaching liquid.
You can add other fresh or dried herbs and dried spices.
You can add other fresh or dried herbs and dried spices.
- DO NOT add salt or other salted liquids like Worcester sauce , sauce etc. Salt will affect the temperature at which the water involves a boil and cools, which can affect the chicken cooking through completely using this method.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts , boneless skinless, 250g/8.5 oz each (Note 1)
- OPTIONAL FLAVOURINGS (NOTE 2)
- 1 lemon , quartered
- 1 herb , dried or fresh
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
Instructions
- Take back off of the fridge half-hour before cooking.
- Fill a saucepan with water therefore the pigeon breast are going to be well submerged with a minimum of 2" / 5cm of water above it during a single layer (can be snug but don't stack).
- Add Flavourings, if using (squeeze in juice , add used lemon).
- Bring water to boil.
- Place pigeon breast in water, place lid on, bring copy to the boil. IMMEDIATELY remove saucepan from stove and put aside for 20 minutes (it's fine up to 45 min to 1 hr, won't overcook).
- Remove chicken from water. Slice and be amazed how perfectly juicy and tender the breast is!! Or chop/shred and use as desired.
- If reserving for later use, cover loosely to chill then refrigerate whole
Recipe Notes:
WHY THIS METHOD WORKS - This recipe works consistently whenever because the chicken starts off in boiling water which is 100°C/212°F regardless of which country, what stove, and what pot you're using! Chicken cooks at 65°C/150°F, so while the boiled water is at or above this temperature, the chicken is cooking. Once it falls below this temperature (as the water cools off the stove), the chicken stops cooking and thus prevents the breast from overcooking, yielding a guaranteed perfectly cooked juicy pigeon breast every single time!
1. Chicken breast size and cook times
- 250g/8.5oz each pigeon breast - leave in water 20 minutes
- 300g/10oz each breast - remove of fridge half-hour prior, leave in water for 25 to half-hour
- Larger than 300g/10oz - are you sure they're CHICKEN breasts?? 😂
- 220g / 7oz or smaller - recipe works fine but isn't quite as juicy, but still juicier than normal simmering method. Can pull out of water earlier employing a thermometer - cooked breast is 66°C / 151°F, check at 16 minutes.
- Up to 45 minutes, and that i still don't notice any loss of juiciness within the breast
- Around 1 hour, I notice that it's slightly less juicy - but still way juicier than the standard methods of poaching!
2. Flavourings are optional, they supply a subtle hint. Good if you propose to eat without adding plenty of extra flavour eg slice and use on sandwiches. be happy to feature more fresh or dried herbs or dried spices.
DO NOT add salt or anything with salt in it (sauce or powders). Will affect boiling point and cooling rate of water = might affect chicken cooking through properly.
3. Pot - large enough so breast lies in single layer. If scaling recipe up, use larger pot. I've done 6 breasts during a large pot.
4. High altitude locations: the upper above water level you're , the lower the boiling point of water. this suggests that if you're located during a high altitude area, the recipe must be amended to boil water with chicken in it before taking it off the stove, to make sure the chicken cooks through. i like to recommend employing a thermometer to see chicken for doneness - start by boiling for 1 minute, begin stove for 20 minutes, check temperature (cooked breast 66°C / 151°F). If undercooked, remove chicken from water, bring copy to boil, put breast back in and begin stove. Check internal temp every jiffy . Then next time you create poached chicken, increase or decrease boiling time before beginning stove!
5. Slicing tip - for the foremost tender bite, search for direction of grain and cut 90 degrees across the grain (see video).
6. STORAGE - Remove from water. Best to store whole, uncut, for juiciest chicken. Airtight container in fridge for up to 4 days. It's incredible how juicy it's even cold, straight from fridge.
Freezing - not as juicy but are often frozen. Thaw and use.
7. Nutrition per pigeon breast (250g/8.5oz)
