One of the easiest ways to cook chicken is to cook it in liquid. You need nothing more than a big saucepan and decent stock— your favorite canned broth is just fine. You can vary the flavors by lacing the poaching liquid with anything that appeals: lemon juice, wine, fresh herbs, dried spices—whatever. Weirdly, the risk with poaching is that the chicken can become dry and tough if it’s cooked too long or too hard. The key is—yes—not to cook it too long or too hard.
© 2004 John Ash. All rights reserved.