For the longest time I thought poached chicken was disgusting. I think it came from it having a bad rap and being associated with plain boiled chicken. But in reality, poaching chicken is a fantastic way to keep a chicken breast moist, tender and flavorful! When cooked in a delicious sauce like this curried coconut sauce, it results in a great dish!
Key Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Bell Peppers – It is important to have flavorful ingredients in the liquid for poaching. I love using bell peppers in this recipe because it goes great with the curry and tomatoes. You can also substitute for onions.
- Grape Tomatoes – These are the perfect tomatoes to use in this recipe because they are small, cook well and are flavorful. You can use any tomato you like however! I also like using canned chopped tomatoes here too.
- Garlic and Ginger – Make sure to mince or finely grate these ingredients. They are great for flavor in this poaching liquid! Omit if you don’t like one of these.
- Curry Powder, Coriander, Turmeric – These three spices are the ones used for this recipe and are super flavorful. If you don’t like one of these, just omit.
- Coconut Milk – Make sure you use full fat coconut milk for the best texture. You can also use heavy cream instead of coconut milk.
- Chicken Stock – This is used in pair with coconut milk to poach the chicken. You can use any stock here instead of chicken, or use all coconut milk for a richer dish.
- Chicken Breast – Chicken breast is the star of this show! Rare for me I know, I am usually a thigh fan. Breast is perfect for poaching because it is lean and cooks quickly. You can also use lean fish like cod or salmon here as well! If you want to use thighs, you can, however the cooking time will be much longer.
Tips for Poaching:
- Use lean proteins to poach. Poaching is great for quick cooking and keeping lean proteins moist.
- Cook on low temperature, you want it to barely be bubbling. This will keep the protein tender.
- Use the cooking liquid to make a sauce after the protein is done cooking. Do this by reducing to thicken, or thicken with an arrowroot or cornstarch slurry.
- Only cook small portions of food. Larger portions (like a whole chicken) would take far too long to cook for this method. Poaching is perfect for individual portions.
- Cover with a lid while cooking so the liquid doesn’t over reduce, and the steam will help cook the protein and keep it moist.
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SERVINGS: 2
- PREP TIME: 15 Mins
- ACTIVE TIME: 30 Mins
- TOTAL TIME: 45 Min
Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken breast
- salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 16 oz grape tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ inch ginger, minced
- 3 tsp yellow curry powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ⅔ cup coconut milk
- ⅔ cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp arrowroot or cornstarch
- ¼ cup green onions, thinly sliced for garnish
Preparation:
STEP 1.
Season the chicken breast with salt and set aside.
STEP 2.
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet or saute pan with lid. Add the bell peppers and saute for 5 minutes, salting as you go. Add the tomatoes and saute another 10 minutes, until they start to burst and soften. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, coriander, and turmeric and cook until fragrant, around 1 minute.
STEP 3.
Stir in coconut milk and chicken stock. Season with salt to taste and bring up to a low bubble. Add the chicken and make sure it’s half submerged. Cover with a lid and cook on a low simmer until the chicken reads 155°F internally, around 10-15 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
STEP 4.
Thicken the sauce. Do this by mixing 1 tbsp of arrowroot or cornstarch with 1 tbsp of water. While the sauce is simmering, stir in the slurry mixture and it will thicken the sauce. If you want it thicker, add more of the same mixture.
STEP 5.
Serve and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!
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