Poaching is a type of moist-heat cooking technique that involves cooking by submerging foodstuff in a liquid, such as
water,
milk,
stock or
wine. Poaching is differentiated from the other "moist heat" cooking methods, such as
simmering and
boiling, in that it uses a relatively low temperature (about ). This temperature range makes it particularly suitable for delicate food, such as
eggs,
poultry,
fish and
fruit, which might easily fall apart or dry out using other cooking methods.