Poaching and Cuisine Minceur

Poached does not necessarily mean ‘boiled’ in water, with all its unappetising, even depressing associations.

A lobster cooked in salt water, in faithful imitation of seawater, will give the best possible account of its own natural flavour. Vegetables cooked in the same way, and enriched after cooking with a sliver of butter and a few finely-chopped herbs are an extremely delicious dish in their own right. Get into the habit of washing them rapidly and don’t leave them soaking for any length of time or their mineral salts will escape into the water. Cook them as I have described above for French beans. The water in which they have cooked becomes a bouillon itself, which can be used, for example, in the making of soups.