Consuming Thoughts by Fay Strickler Penn State Extension Home Economist For Berks Co. Many people think poaching is a mysterious am difficult way to cook fish. In real ity, it is one of the easiest cook ing methods. And it certainly produces some of the most deli cious fish you’ll ever eat. Simply defined, poaching is cooking in a aromatic broth. Fish are usually poached in a court bouillon. But you can also use milk or lightly seasoned water. It is one of the simplest ways I know to cook fish since it requires no special ingredients and no measuring. Melt about two tablespoons of butter or margarine in a long, shallow pan or electric skillet. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Add the amount of water you’ll need to cover your fish. Pour in about one cup of cooking white wine (non alchololic) and add a bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Place your fillets in the broth and cook until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. This will take about eight to ten minutes, or longer for thicker fil- I PAUL B. . n Raven Tough Polyethylene Tanks • SPRAYER TANKS • STATIONARY For New Or TANKS - For. , Replacement Liquid Fertilizer Storage mgy OOP illnl] 6*o** Crop Care \ FOAM MARKER • 5 gal Tank ' ' ‘ • 3 Hrs Foam Per Tank • Extra Heavy Duty Compressor • Includes All Wire & Hoses Needed For Installation ♦nos $649.00 We Also Sprayer Nozzles And Accessories icately flavored fish, with now masking of their true flavor. It is a good way to cook whole, dressed fish this way to make fish flakes. Try it as an alterna tive to making fish flakes for use in other recipes. Court bouillon usually con sists of water, white wine, onions, celery, carrots and pars ley, with some thyme and a bay leaf. You can add your favorite ingredients and seasonings. Chop the vegetables to release their flavor. Once you’ve made the bouillon, you can cook in it more than once, if you have sev eral servings of fish to prepare. In poaching, food is complete ly submerged in the cooking liq uid. If your fish is not covered when you put it in, add enough water to cover it. Fish is delicate and should never be boiled. When you poach, the surface of the water should shiver or shimmer, not simmer. Only the tiniest bub bles should be visible Stock A Complete Hyjyiro Pumps And Accessories HOUSTON, Texas-The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) used biodiesel, an alternative ftiel, to power buses used to transport participants to and from the con vention center during their annual meeting here recently. The shuttle buses operated on blends of 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel. As with all cooking methods, poaching time is determined by the thickness of the fish. Remove fish immediately when done to prevent further cooking. Overcooking is the most com mon problem in seafood cooking. And you can overcook fish and dry it out even when it is cooked in water. For ease in poaching large fish or large fillets, wrap in a layer of cheesecloth before cook ing. For very large fish, double the cloth. Allow several inches of extra cloth on each end. Twist the end and make knots to use as handles when lifting the fish. You can poach whole fish, steaks or fillets. Many people do not like to serve whole fish because it can be difficult to cut through the backbone, and there are bones in the servings. Using fillets eliminates these prob lems. Always place fillets or steaks in a single layer to poach. 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ZIMMERMAN, INC. • HARDWARE • FARM SUPPLIES • CUSTOM MANUFACTURING • CRANE SERVICE Biodiesel American Jack Hartman, president of the National Biodiesel Board and a farmer from northeast lowa, is participating in a num ber of the annual meeting activ ities and applauds the AFBF’s decision to highlight biodiesel at its convention. “The benefits of biodiesel to the farm economy are tremen dous,” said Hartman. “When you When poaching fillets, many people prefer skinless ones. This prevents curling. However, not much curling occurs in small fil lets, so if you do not object to the skin, it’s fine to leave it on. Steaks should be poached with the skin on to keep them from coming apart. Remove the skin after poaching. Remember that you can sub stitute different cuts of seafood in recipes. Use steaks instead of fillets, fillets instead of whole fish. Just adjust the cooking time. And always remember that you can substitute species. Other people think that they must have the particular fish named in a recipe. But this is not true. Just substitute like species. For example, use one lean fish in place of another, a mild flavor for another mild fla vor, a delicate texture for anoth er delicate texture. SPRAY TANK CLEANER *OBBl6O a Ibo. *7.16 50 Woodcorner Rd., Lititz, PA 17543 1 Mile West of Ephrata (717)738-7350 Endorsed At Farm Bureau consider biodiesel’s environmen tal and performance attributes, along with the added value to feedstock, the creation of more jobs, and an increased tax base, biodiesel is a win-win situation for the farmer and the nation’s economy.” Biodiesel is the name for a variety of ester-based oxygenat ed fuels derived from biological or renewable sources such as soybeans, the nation’s most abundant and renewable agri cultural product. In its pure form, biodiesel is biodegradable, non toxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Biodiesel also is clean burning and has similar BTU content, fuel econo my, and performance as conven tional diesel fuel. “Utilizing alternative fuels, such as biodiesel, is a way to support our farmers in a time when many have had to make the difficult decision to continue to produce at a loss or sell land that has been in their family for several generations,” said Ron Woods, director of human resources for the AFBF. lillii dairymen are the cream of the crop! FOAM DYE *009077 For Higher Visibility Foam *1 3.50 .... HOURS Mon , Thurs, Fn 7-8 70 lues Wed 7-5 70 Sal 7-4 00 151
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