Poaching is a gentle way of cooking all types of fish, whether they are whole, filleted or cut into steaks.

Method

1. Place the fish into a pan or fish kettle; you may want to wrap it loosely in muslin to make it easier to remove from the pan.
2. Cover the fish in liquid, such as lightly salted water, stock, wine or cider.
3. Add a good squeeze of lemon juice, along with any flavourings you want, such as lemon or onion slices, herbs, peppercorns or other spices.
4. Bring the liquid to the boil over moderate heat before covering the pan and lowering the heat.
5. Cook gently for the times shown in the table below; either simmer on the stove or place in the oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mk 4. When cooked, the fish should flake away easily with a fork.