Waterzooi

About This Recipe

Waterzooi—literally 'water mess'—originated in Ghent, Belgium's third-largest city, where it was originally made with freshwater fish from the rivers Leie and Scheldt. As river pollution grew in the 18th and 19th centuries, chicken gradually replaced fish, and the chicken version became the definitive preparation in modern Belgian cuisine. The dish is distinguished by its enriched broth: a blend of cream, butter, and egg yolks stirred in at the last moment to create a silky, luxurious consistency without heavy thickening. Waterzooi is deeply associated with Ghent's identity and is listed as a protected regional dish in Belgium.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1.4 kgwhole chicken, jointed into 8 pieces
• 1.5 litresgood-quality chicken stock
• 3medium carrots, cut into batons
• 3 stalkscelery, sliced
• 2leeks (white and light green parts), sliced
• 2medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1onion, finely diced
• 1 smallceleriac, peeled and diced
• 200 mlheavy cream
• 3egg yolks
• 50 gunsalted butter
• 1 small bunchflat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 sprigsfresh thyme
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tspsalt and white pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the chicken

   Place the chicken pieces in a large pot. Pour over the chicken stock and add the thyme, bay leaves, and onion. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, skimming off any foam. Cook for 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Strain and reserve the stock.

2. 2

   Cook the vegetables

   In a clean large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, leeks, and celeriac and sweat gently for 8 minutes. Add the diced potatoes and pour in the strained stock. Simmer for 15 minutes until all vegetables are tender.

3. 3

   Return the chicken

   Remove the chicken skin and bones if desired and add the chicken meat back to the pot with the vegetables. Warm through for 5 minutes over low heat.

4. 4

   Enrich with cream and egg yolks

   Whisk together the heavy cream and egg yolks in a bowl. Remove the pot from the heat and slowly pour in the cream mixture, stirring constantly. Return to very low heat and stir gently for 2–3 minutes until the broth thickens slightly and becomes silky. Do not boil or the eggs will curdle.

5. 5

   Season and serve

   Season generously with salt and white pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley. Serve immediately in deep bowls with thick slices of crusty bread or alongside boiled potatoes.

Variations

• •

  Traditional fish waterzooi: replace chicken with firm white fish (cod, monkfish) and shrimp, and use fish stock.

• •

  Add a splash of dry white wine to the vegetables as they sweat for extra complexity.

Storage

Refrigerate without the egg-cream enrichment for up to 2 days. Reheat gently and add the egg yolk mixture just before serving. Do not freeze once enriched.

Frequently Asked Questions