Poaching is the cooking of food - in the required amount of liquid - at just below boiling point. There are two methods of poaching: shallow and deep. Shallow Poaching: where foods, e.g. fish and chicken, are cooked in the minimum of liquid, ie water, stock, milk or wine. The liquid should never be allowed to boil but kept at a temperature as close to boiling as possible. Deep Poaching: where foods are cooked in enough water to cover them, e.g. eggs are cooked in approximately 8cm of water and brought to the boil and then simmered. Cuts of fish on the bone, e.g. salmon steaks are placed into simmering liquid and cooked gently. The advantage is that food is easily digestible when poached.