Poaching Chicken

When making recipes like buffalo chicken dip, chicken pot pie, or creamed chicken, I prefer to poach my own chicken. Not only is it more affordable than canned chicken, it also allows me to use local, good-quality chicken. Plus, it's easy! It only takes about 30 minutes, and most of that is just letting it sit. No biggie! When you're done, you'll have chicken for salads, pizza, and, well, whatever you want chicken for, AND you'll have a yummy broth, too. 

We prefer white meat, so I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. In a deep, wide skillet with a lid, arrange the chicken in a single layer, and barely cover with water. Toss is some chopped celery (I use the leaves and extra bits I can't use in other recipes), peeled garlic cloves, quartered onions, a couple of bay leaves, some whole peppercorns, a pinch of thyme, and a generous dash of Kosher salt. 

Bring the water to a boil, then turn it down to a low simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 15-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from the liquid, put it in a container and refrigerate, or use it right away. Remove the veggies and bay leaves from the liquid, then refrigerate that, too. When it cools, skim off the fat and use as broth. 

See? Wasn't that easy?