Week 9: Boiling & Poaching
- ejs0086
- Oct 18, 2023
- 8 min read
Updated: Oct 25, 2023
Research
Introductions
List the method of cookery and dishes to be covered in class
This week will be utilizing a moist-heat method of cooking by poaching flounder fish, which is an ideal method for cooking tender items such as poultry, eggs or fish. We will begin by browning shallots in butter, adding the flounder, tomato concasse, parsley, fish stock, wine and lemon juice. The pan will be covered and food will be poached at 300 degrees for 5-10 minutes. After placing the fish and garnishes in a warm, dish, we will top with a cream sauce made from a veloute sauce. For cauliflower mornay, we will start by making a bechamel sauce, a milk-based mother sauce. We will begin by slowly simmering an onion pique with milk. After removing the onion pique, we will use the milk to make a white roux, then adding mustard and ⅔ of the grated mature cheddar cheese, creating a mornay sauce. Cauliflower florets will be simmered long enough to be tender yet fairly firm, drained, then arranged in an ovenproof dish. The mornay sauce will be carefully poured over, ensuring all cauliflower is covered. After topping with the remaining cheese, it will be baked for 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown and bubbling. For potato fondant, we will be sauteeing yukon potatoes in butter until a golden brown crust forms on each side using a heavy pan appropriate for shallow poaching. After adding rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper, chicken stock will be carefully poured on top until it covers half of the potatoes. After brushing with melted butter initially and several times throughout cooking, the potato fondant will be baked until all the stock has been absorbed.
List your learning objectives for the class
We will be cooking fish again this week in class, so my goal is to master my fileting skills after struggling in this area last week. We will also be making many variations of sauce, so patience and teamwork will be crucial for producing smooth, flavorful sauces.
Discuss your prior knowledge of the content
I do not have any previous experience or knowledge of poaching fish. However, I know that bechamel sauce is very similar to veloute sauce, as bechamel uses milk rather than stock as a base.
Background Information
Research and discussion of method of cooking/ techniques
Boiling, poaching and simmering are all moist-heat cooking methods that employ convection to transfer heat from a liquid to a food, but differ in temperatures needed to cause that effect. It is important to be mindful of chosen liquid, such as stock, seasonings and wine, because submerged food absorbs the flavor. Boiling requires a heat of 212 degrees which accelerates cooking time, causing the liquid to make large, rapidly moving bubbles. This technique is reserved mostly for starches, such as pasta and potatoes. With poaching, the liquid requires a heat below boiling point, between 160 and 180 degrees, and should move slightly with no bubbles. This method is best used on delicately flavored foods with short cooking times, such as fish, eggs and fruit. Poaching includes two methods: submersion and shallow. The liquid in submersion poaching completely covers the food, such as a boiled egg. We will be using shallow poaching for the potato fondant, where the liquid comes halfway up the sides of the dish. Simmering involves submerging food in liquid between 185 and 205 degrees, causing small bubbles. This method is best used for meats or foods that need to be tenderized through a long, slow process.
Research and discussion of primary ingredient
The primary ingredient for filet of fish duglere is flounder. We will be using 14 oz filets poached in a chicken stock base with tomato concasse and other ingredients. The taste characteristics of flounder are explained in a Savory Suitcases blog: “Flounder is a flatfish known for its mild and delicate taste. The flavor is often described as sweet, almost buttery, with a slight touch of brininess. Flounder absorbs flavors well, making it ideal for experimenting with sauces, herbs, and seasonings” (Billan, 2023). The primary ingredient for cauliflower mornay is cauliflower! Though not prized for its taste when raw, cauliflower when poached with mornay sauce is a cheesy delight. Cauliflower has become a popular healthier substitution for potatoes. According to a LiveStrong article, “Cauliflower has some advantages including being lower in calories and carbs. Plus, cauliflower generally comes out ahead with versatility and nutrients profile” (Fletcher, 2019). Potato fondant, not surprisingly, has a main ingredient of potatoes. We will be using the Yukon gold variety, which are a cross between a yellow and white flesh potato, considered medium starch, and are stable enough to cook without crumbling.
Dish/method variations
One variation of moist-heat cooking we will not be employing this week is steaming. Using either a convection steamer or stove top covered pan, steaming cooks the food with steam only instead of liquids at a temperature of 212 degrees or higher. This is best used for delicate foods, such as broccoli, to retain nutrients. It is considered the most healthful of the methods as no fats or oils come in contact with the food. An article by Beach Body on Demand states, “Steaming keeps foods moist and juicy while adding no extra calories or fat. It’s a health-conscious cooking method, but there are some tips and tricks to steaming food so the end result is tasty and tender — not mushy” (Kavountzis, 2023). Something to note about boiling is that the temperature will need to be adjusted for high elevation locations.
Recipes
Plan of Work
Report & Reflect
Results - The lab went well the flounder was kind of tough to filet because they were smaller but the flavor was solid. The potatoes got a nice sear and were tasty but were a little too thick so were a little firmer than I would have liked. The cauliflower dish was super good and creamy and was like Mac and cheese almost. The veloute had a good consistency but the flavor was fishier than my personal taste even with adequate seasoning.
Describe the outcomes of the lab class:
Lab class this week went fairly well. We used flounder for the Filet of Fish Duglere, which was challenging to filet due to its small size. Poaching the flounder yielded a flavorful and tender fish. The fish veloute sauce presented a smooth consistency but had a fishy flavor. The potato fondant was perfectly seared, yet a little too firm, as the slices had been cut too thick. The cauliflower mornay with the creamy mornay sauce turned out exceptionally delicious.
Describe how well the technique/cooking method worked
As flounder is a delicate type of fish, poaching was ideal and worked effectively; this moist cooking method allowed the fish to soak up flavor adequately without overcooking it. Shallow poaching and simmering the potato fondant and cauliflower mornay worked well, as these cooking methods provided the perfect consistency, texture, and flavor.
Describe the sensory results of the dish;
Taste
The poached flounder had a delicate umami taste by itself, but when paired with the fish veloute, the dish presented a bitter fishy taste. The potato fondant tasted salty from the seasonings and butter. The cauliflower mornay topped with additional mornay sauce embodied a savory taste.
Flavor
The filet of fish duglere consisted of a warm, buttery flavor; when paired with the fish veloute, the flounder's delicate flavor was overpowered by the fishiness of the sauce. The cauliflower mornay was my favorite part of this dish, as it's savory, creamy flavor was very similar to mac and cheese. The potato fondant exhibited a strong buttery flavor with aromas of rosemary and thyme.
Texture
The smooth texture of the fish veloute sauce complimented the tender, flakiness of the poached flounder. The edges of the potato fondant were seared perfectly, while the middle was firmer than we had desired because the slices were cut too thick. The cauliflower mornay presented a creamy texture, with a slightly gritty feel to it.
Appearance
Our plate presentation turned out well this week. We chose a flat plate with a dark color to allow the colors of each dish to stand out. The poached flounder was topped with fish veloute and additional tomato concasse; the veloute sauce unexpectedly spilled off of the fish and made a mess on the plate though. We carefully placed the potato fondant in a simple domino position, and we decided to top the cauliflower mornay with additional mornay sauce drippings to enhance the appearance of our dish.
Evaluation of results
Explain and discuss the important outcomes using external references and citations;
The fish veloute sauce produced a strong fishy taste, even after we seasoned it with salt and pepper. This could have been caused by adding too much fish stock, or perhaps the fish used for the stock may have been bad (this was not the case). Regardless, we could have fixed the veloute sauce by using additional ingredients that were readily available. To cancel out the strong fishy taste, we could have added lemon juice and a pinch of sugar (Ouk, 2021).
I had initially thought the potato fondant turned out too firm due to the thickness of the slices. However, that might not have been the only reason. According to a 2014 article, "Hard potatoes usually result when the cooking temperature is not high enough to soften the starch in a potato... Once a sauce was added to them, the uncooked starch in the potatoes may have formed a protective covering over the potatoes, preventing any further moisture to reach their interior and complete the cooking process" (Langerud, 2014).
Discuss the techniques that did work well. Provide an explanation of why they did work.
Poaching the flounder worked very well, as I mentioned earlier; this cooking method preserved the delicate texture of the fish and enhanced the flavor. Shallow poaching gave the potato fondant seared edges and a round buttery taste; this technique was appropriate to use for the fine potato slices, as it prevented them from crumbling. Simmering the bechamel sauce to create the cauliflower mornay was suitable for acquring the desired creamy texture.
Discuss the techniques that did not work well. Provide an explanation of why they did work.
The only technique that we had trouble with this week was the shallow poaching method used for the potato fondant. The potatoes turned out too firm due to our own mistake of cutting the slices too thick. Shallow poaching was a great cooking method to use for this dish, but it would have worked better if the potatoes were sliced evenly and thinner.
Discuss the particular improvements and changes that could be implemented to improve the outcomes
To improve the potato fondant, thinner slices should be used to acquire a softer texture, as I mentioned above. For the veloute sauce, adjusting the ingredients, such as adding sugar and lemon juice, maybe would have mitigated the fishy taste.
Conclusions
Provide a concise and clear recap of the outcomes of the class.
The poached flounder turned out tender and flavorful using a poaching method, but we faced some challenges with fileting this week. The fish veloute sauce had a strong fishy taste that overpowered the flounder's flavor. The potato fondant had a great sear but was firmer than we desired. The cauliflower mornay stood out among the other dishes with its creamy, savory characteristics similar to mac n cheese.
Discuss the specific learning outcomes of the class and link them to the learning objectives that were previously identified.
I feel as though my fileting techniques were strengthened this week, but not mastered. Fileting flounder was more difficult than fileting seabass because it was smaller in size. Preparing the fish veloute and the bechamel sauce for the mornay sauce took a bit of effort, but we produced smooth, flavorful sauces (despite one sauce having a bad flavor).
Discuss additional skills and knowledge that were learned outside of the previously identified learning objectives.
We learned that the technique used for fileting will change based on the type of fish. In terms of fileting techniques, flounder differs from seabass because it is a flatfish species and is smaller than seabass, a round fish, so you must be more careful when fileting the flounder.
Explain the potential circumstances that the newly-found skills and knowledge could be applied.
Now that I have experience in fileting and cooking fish, I will be able to use these skills in any kitchen setting, whether that be at home or in a restaurant.
Detail areas that still require practice and improvement.
My knife skills need more practice in general; I still struggle to evenly and correctly cut meats, vegetables, and produce. My goal is to further improve this skill in the remaining lab classes over the next few weeks.
References
Flounder Substitutes. Kristina Billan. 30 June 2023.
Langerud, B. (2014, September 19). Why are my potatoes still hard after so much cooking time? #213257. Why are my potatoes still hard after so much cooking time? - Ask Extension. https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=213257
Nutrition in Potatoes vs. Cauliflower. Jenna Fletcher. 5 September 2019.
Ouk, V. (2021). I put too much fish sauce in my stir fry. how do I balance out the fishy taste?. Quora. https://www.quora.com/I-put-too-much-fish-sauce-in-my-stir-fry-How-do-I-balance-out-the-fishy-taste#:~:text=Pinch%20of%20sugar%20and%20a,fishy%20taste%20is%20very%20strong.
Pros and Cons of Steaming Food, Plus a How-To-Guide. Cemile Kavountzis. 9 March 2023.
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