From the Lexicon, Poach, Simmer, Boil
Three temperatures pretending to be one method. POACH: 71–82°C, water barely shivering: eggs, fish, chicken breast, anything delicate that violent bubbles would shred. SIMMER: 85–95°C, lazy bubbles: stocks, braises, beans, sauces. BOIL: 100°C rolling: pasta, blanching, potatoes, and almost nothing made of protein. The most common home error is treating these as synonyms; the most common professional discipline is watching the bubbles, not the dial. Salt poaching liquids and courts-bouillons like they are the sauce, because for those minutes they are.
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