1 whole star anise

½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

½ teaspoon whole cloves

1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick

1 cardamom pod

¼ teaspoon dried tangerine peel (dried orange peel can be substituted)

5 cups water

¼ cup light soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

4–6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• Place the star anise, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pod, tangerine peel, and water in a stew pot. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Let boil until the poaching liquid is reduced to 4 cups.

• Stir in the soy sauce and the sugar. Return the liquid to a boil.

• Add the chicken breasts and reduce to a simmer. Poach the breasts until done, about 20 minutes.

Tangerines and Mandarin Oranges

Tangerines and mardarin oranges are the same thing! The name just tells you where they were grown. If they are from the United States, they are tangerines. If not, they're called mandarins.