"Dry" and "poaching" might sound like an oxymoron, but hear us out! This is a great technique to use with small cuts that don't have a lot of internal fat to keep them moist. Here's how...
Also called oven poaching, dry poaching is like a cross between braising and roasting. We mostly use it for cooking boneless skinless chicken breast, but it also works well with fish, thin cuts of pork, or any meat that has a tendency to overcook.
Butter a baking dish that will comfortably hold all the meat without crowding them too closely together. Cut a sheet of parchment paper a little larger than the pan and rub butter over one side. Preheat the oven to 400°.
Prepare the meat as you normally would for roasting, grilling, or stove-top cooking - that is, rub it with butter or olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and seasonings. Place the meat in the pan with the pieces spaced an inch or so apart. Tuck the parchment paper, butter-side down, around the meat.
Bake the meat until it's cooked through. This will vary depending on the type and thickness of the meat you're cooking. For chicken breasts, we find that it usually takes 35-40 minutes.
The parchment paper traps in moisture, gently steaming the chicken in butter and its own juices. The resulting chicken is always tender, moist, and flavored through with the spices we used to coat the outside. It even picks up a little color from the butter and the contact with the hot baking dish.
Try it for yourself!
Related: Cooking Tip: Quick Brine for Pork Chops
(Image: Emma Christensen for the Kitchn)
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I love doing this! Just made The River Cafe's slow braised lamb shanks last night using this method and it was totally delicious.
I see a lot of uses of parchment paper on this and other cooking sites. It's not something you can generally buy at a regular supermarket or drugstore, right? You have to get it at kitchen supply stores?
@Brooklynnnina, no it should actually be available at your local grocery store. Look for it with the plastic wrap and foil - or sometimes it's hidden somewhere in the baking aisle.
Brooklynnina, I have had no problems finding parchment at the supermarket, so no, you shouldn't have to go to a specialty store to get it.
Hmm, OK, thanks for the tips. I think it just never occurs to me to look for it when I'm at the store. Will add it to my shopping list right now!
I feel like I'm always chiming in on Wal-MArt, but it's probably the only truly national grocery chain (though maybe not Brooklyn, of course)... Anyway, they definitely carry Reynold's parchment with the other foil and plastic wrap, but they also have it in the wedding/cake/candy craft section (Wilton brand). That aisle is full of useful goodies for baking and cooking more than just wedding cakes, and a lot of the stuff there is not duplicated in the kitchen or baking section.
Brooklynnina -- just don't make my mistake and buy wax paper instead of parchment paper. I tried to convince my husband that the smell and taste of burning wax was normal, but I eventually had to admit my error.
If I dredge the chicken breast in bread crumbs and cook it using this mothod do you think it will get crispy? Whenever I pan fry it on the stove top it comes out dry...or not moist enough. What is the best way to cook chicken breast moist and crispy on the outside?