Chicken is famously versatile, suited to many cooking methods, including the liquid-based braising and poaching. But what's the difference between the two?

Brown both sides of the chicken. 5. Take out the chicken and dunk (breast down first) into the pot of poaching sauce. Keep ladling the sauce on to the chicken for 5 mins. Then poach for 30 mins.

(The F.D.A., I should note, recommends cooking chicken to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, a temperature which will dry out the breast. Slow-poaching is safe at lower temperatures.) Remove chicken from ...