Why Sake and Citrus-Poached Chicken Uses so Much Liquid

Question

I'm making the Sake and Citrus-Poached Chicken with Miso Sauce in a 12-inch skillet as directed in the Kitchen Improv Cookbook from the online class. Two cups of sake seems an awful lot - most recipes I see ask for 2 Tbsp. Then you are supposed to add 2 cups of water. That's a lot of liquid in a skillet with two chicken breasts and it doesn't get evaporated, either. With so much liquid, do you really need to flip the chicken halfway through? I just wondered if this 2 cups of sake is correct. (I had to use a mixure of Chardonnay, a little rice wine vinegar and water in place of it). We loved the miso-lemon sauce, but I can't bear to throw away all this liquid that is left in the pan. Just checking!

Lynn Clark · Accepted Answer

Hi Nancy - 2 cups of sake is the correct amount. The cooking method for the chicken in this recipe is poaching - i.e., submerging food in liquid and cooking over a low temperature. In order to fully submerge the chicken pieces we needed 4 cups of liquid. It's not unusual to poach chicken or fish in wine, so we chose to use half water and half sake here to add light, bright flavor to the poaching liquid and, subsequently, the sauce. Sometimes the chicken likes to float up to the surface causing the top to be a bit exposed. We flip it over to make sure, if it does, the chicken still cooks evenly. I hope that helps explain things. You can strain and save the poaching liquid in the refrigerator and use it as you would chicken broth for making pan sauces, cooking rice, etc. Best, Lynn C.

Why Sake and Citrus-Poached Chicken Uses so Much Liquid

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