Olive Oil Poaching

Olive Oil Poached Shrimp with Indian Spices is served with a side of orzo and kale.

When I hear the word “poach,” I often think back to my hometown and the woods of my youth where, before I got to my private trails and secret forts, I’d pass beat up tin signs warning, “No Poaching.”  What did the owners of the land have against eggs, I wondered until my parents explained that poaching was the illegal capture/eating of animals and wild plants.  Besides the state flower — the Mountain Laurel — and a few small animals unappealing for the supper table, I wasn’t sure who, in suburban Connecticut, was doing the poaching but I certainly kept on my toes.  There was the time the circus came to town and my mother looked out the window to find an escaped camel and zebra walking up our front lawn but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t count — and has nothing to do with this poaching story!

Let’s talk about legal poaching and how it can rock any meal right off the charts.  A classic French technique using a light liquid (usually a broth), poaching is a gentle cooking method that renders fish light and flaky and chicken moist and delicious.  I typically use wine with chicken and coconut milk for fish but I’ve recently discovered olive oil poaching as a wonderful, new technique for fish.

Poaching in olive oil gives the fish a silky, tender texture that is rich and luxurious in flavor.  The technique is a simple three step process and you can get super creative with your herbs and spices to really make this meal your own. 

Step One:  Remove the fish from the fridge, season and let sit at room temp, covered, for about 1 hour .

Step Two:  Warm the oil (about 4 - 6 cups) in a straight-sided, oven-proof skillet until 120°.  Be sure not to overheat the oil.

Step Three:  Immediately transfer the skillet to an oven pre-heated to 225° and poach the fish for exactly 25 minutes.

Make sure you remember four important points:  1.  The best candidates for olive oil poaching are rich in flavor and firm in texture.  Try shrimp, salmon, halibut and tuna at 1/2 - 1 inch thickness.  2.  Use extra virgin olive oil to be sure the oil penetrates the fish but you don’t need to use your special $20 bottle — a medium grade E.V.O.O. is just fine.  3.  Your saute pan should be big enough to hold the fish in a single layer and the sides should be straight to hold the oil evenly.  4.  Please make sustainable choices when choosing your fish.  If you’re not sure, check the Seafood Watch website or download the app to your smart phone.

When you’re done, the good news is you can save the used oil for up to three weeks so you can poach more fish.  I used a little extra to dress a side of orzo sauteed with kale, lemon juice and red pepper flakes.

Recipe:  Olive Oil Poached Shrimp with Indian Spices

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs. large or jumbo shrimp

1 Tbl. fresh, minced ginger

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

2 tsp. garam masala*

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

pinch of salt

4 - 6 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Prepare Shrimp

With a mortar and pestle, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt until it is blended.  Add the rest of the spices and add about 1 tsp. of oil until the mixture becomes a smooth paste.  Rinse and gently pat dry the fish and combine it with the spice mixture in a medium bowl.   Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temp for one hour.

Heat oil in a large saute pan with straight sides.  When the temperature reaches 120°, slide in the shrimp in a single layer and immediately transfer to a 225° preheated oven.  Poach for 25 minutes.  Keep an eye on the shrimp.  They should be pink and opaque and the oil will form white bubbles at the surface. (My oven runs hot, even at low temps, so mine were done at 20 minutes).  

Remove shrimp with a slotted spoon and let drain on a wire rack or plate lined with paper towels.  Serve with a side of orzo and your favorite green (spinach, kale and broccoli rabe make nice companions) flavored with the olive oil.

To save the leftover oil for a later poaching date, let cool to room temp and strain through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter.  Stop before you get to the fishy bottom and toss that last bit. Store the oil, covered, in the fridge for up to three weeks.

If you would like to leave a comment and do not see the DISQUS tool, please click on the post headline or here and scroll down to the bottom.