Wild Alaska pollock quick cuts are ready in a flash, even when using a gentle, foolproof cooking method like poaching.
When poaching pollock, you’ll typically be adding the fish to a pot of hot soup or stew to cook through, moments before taking the pot off the heat to serve up your meal. The lean, mild, and flaky qualities of wild Alaska pollock make it a classic style of fish that you’d want to use for these types of meals. And our pollock quick cuts are already cut into pieces that fit perfectly on soup spoons.
Your pollock poaching liquid is going to be your stew, soup, or sauce. Think chowders, cioppinos, curries, anything that ranges from brothy to hearty will do. As long as there’s enough flavorful liquid in a pot to nearly cover your quick cuts, you’ve already done all the prep work you need for poaching. All you have to do is lower the pollock into the pot for an effortless poach.
The Perfect Poach
Make sure that your pot of soup/stew/sauce is hot enough to poach the pollock at a barely perceptible simmer. If your liquid isn’t hot, make sure you bring it to a boil first — this ensures that it will be evenly heated throughout the pot — then lower the heat for poaching.
Add pollock quick cuts to the pot, stirring to ensure that the pieces aren’t sticking together. It’s fine if the pollock pieces aren’t completely submerged, though you will want to stir the pot about halfway through poaching just to make sure that there’s full contact with all sides of the quick cuts at some point.
Allow the fish to poach for about 5 minutes with the lid on the pot. This will give the quick cuts plenty of time to cook through, while also giving the fish a chance to infuse in the soup/stew/sauce. Whatever you’re poaching the pollock in will also take on some of the clean flavors of the fish, adding depth to the meal. If you’re adding other types of fish into the meal as well, we suggest cutting them into pieces that are uniform with the pollock so that you can add all the fish in at the same time. Shellfish may need a little less time than fish to cook, so time things accordingly.
You’ll know the fish is done when it flakes easily and is opaque in the center of the pieces. If it needs more time, just give it another minute or two in the pot; this is such a gentle cooking method that you don’t need to worry about overcooking the fish.
Recipe Ideas for Poached Pollock Quick Cuts
If you love the bright, herbaceous flavor of lemongrass, try making this recipe for a coconut milk and turmeric fish chowder from The Telegraph. Of course, pollock quick cuts go well with New England or Manhattan style chowders too, so pick your favorite recipe and go with it. Or, check out Real Simple’s recipe for a tomato-based fish stew made with pollock and topped with a vibrant gremolata.
