I discovered the instructions for “No-Poach Poached Chicken” in the book Cooking in the Moment (which I’ll be reviewing and giving away on Friday!). I thought it was worth a try; no having to remember to put it in the crock pot in the morning!
The instructions were pretty basic. Wash a 3-4 pound bird, rub with salt, and place in a large pot. Add water to an inch over the top of the bird. Then add aromatics. Andrea Reusing gave a couple of different seasoning options; I decided on dried chilies, cumin seeds, and bay leaves. No amounts were given, so I dashed and sprinkled and called it good.
It then says to bring to a boil; let simmer 5 minutes; then remove from heat, cover tightly, and let sit for an hour. Unfortunately, I don’t think my pot lid fit very tight so instead of taking it completely off the heat I turned it to lo.
The Verdict: As you can probably tell from the pot, it wasn’t quite big enough. Good thing for meat thermometers – I checked after the hour and it wasn’t done. So I set it to simmer for another half hour so. Voila! Very tender, moist. I made a chicken salad with it. As it was getting quite late in the evening, I put the stock in the refrigerator. As per the instructions, I’ll boil it later along with the carcass to make the stock even more flavorful.
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Sorry love, but I tossed out the carcass after you went to bed. I did not know you wanted it.
that’s OK, there will be many more chickens in our future!
hmm, interesting.
I have a one or two organic 2 pound chickens in the freezer, I bet it would work well with one of those. It makes me nervous to just ‘leave’ it without any heat actually under it, but I wonder if it sort of works like a low tech pressure cooker?
It’s great for saving energy! I like that!
Debbie T recently posted..A Cook’s Journey to Japan – Cookbook Review
The idea is that the pot, when tightly covered, will retain the temp of the water so it’s more like a big thermos LOL. If you have a sort of an old rickety pot like mine, you’ll want to keep it on simmer or low just in case.
haha, thanks for the explanation! I think I might have the right pot with a tight cover. I don’t think my cast iron would be tight enough…oh wait, I remember seeing something on America’s Test Kitchen. They added a layer of aluminum foil over the pot then covered, to make a tight seal. hmm, that could work with any pot!
Debbie T recently posted..A Cook’s Journey to Japan – Cookbook Review
oooh great idea!
Yes, and that chicken is the best chicken I EVER ate! Called French Chicken in the Pot. There’s no water in it, though. Just chicken, a few veggies and a little olive oil. Very simple and very good!
Whoo hooo, just requested the Cooking in the Moment book at the library. I’m on the wait list! I love new cookbooks!
Debbie T recently posted..A Cook’s Journey to Japan – Cookbook Review
that’s a fascinating idea! soudns liek a gret way to save energy too
Shu Han recently posted..Lemon and Garlic Roasted Sardines with Potatoes
That looks so easy! Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’ve done whole chickens in the slow-cooker before but they seem to come out too dry. I’ll have to try this!
I came over from TILT.
Damsel recently posted..Slow Cooker Liners Things I Love