Be A Stud

Oven Poach - It Ain't That Damn Hard

Okay gentlemen... put down the tongs and step away from the grill.  If you are slapping your famous (insert meat of your choice here) on the grill and feeling like a hero, that's cool.  But you aren't cooking dinner if you aren't doing the side dish as well.

Specifically, if the One-You-Are-Out-To-Impress is doing everything else and handing you the raw meat on the platter, you may be feeling like The Shizzle.  (Dude nobody says that anymore.)  Really?  I just didn't think I could say you're The Shit.  I can?  Cool.

If you're feeling like doing everything: meat, rice, vegetable is too hectic a feat to pull off - I want you to feel awesome about yourself and impress the hell out of yourself as well as She-Who-Digs-You.  It's time to be a stud.


Try this: oven poaching.  Typically a poached meat is cooked on the stove in simmering liquid.  Nothing wrong with that, of course.  But I like the even, gentle heat of the oven.  If you put the fish (or chicken or whatev) in a baking dish and add just enough flavored broth to cover the bottom of the dish, the meat will have a yummy sauna to hang out in.  It gets all tender and juicy in the sauna sauce.

Sauna Sauce - Rich stock with fresh thyme, bay leaf and pepper!

The cool thing about oven-poaching is "you can't screw this up and it tastes fantastic".  Often when doing fish there is a very small window for doneness.  Two minutes less and your filet is still raw in the middle (frowns and pathetic pats on the arm); two minutes more and you got the typical, "oh it's too dry" (eye rolls when you're not looking, lots of water to wash it down).  Harsh, isn't it?

Here's the order of operations (math nerds rejoice!)

  Thaw the fish if it isn't already...

  Open a can of ready to use broth, put it in a pan with some pepper, herbs, etc.  Garlic?  Sure man!

  Simmer that for like 20 minutes while you have a drink.  You're setting the stage.  Chick noticing... um hmm

  Turn oven on to 375.  Smile like the badass you are.  (Oh, it's nothing... you want some more wine?)

  When the oven is up to temp, put all that stuff together in the baking dish and toss it in.

Sauteed Mushrooms with Cherry Tomatoes - going on top of the fish

  You've got like 15 to 20 minutes to put together the rest.  Can you handle it?  Hell yeah.  Uncle Ben's whole grain microwave rice (90 seconds!) and heat up a vegetable.  I did sauteed spinach (120 seconds!)  Figured I got time, I sauteed mushrooms, and tossed in quartered cherry tomatoes to top off the fish.

Got it?  Put it all on the plate.  This is a nice light meal leaving you plenty of room and calories to have a light dessert after.  Healthy, easy, smart.  Just like you - stud!