Best Belgium Waterzooi Belgian Gentse Waterzooi Recipes

WATERZOOI (VATERZOY)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium -high heat and quickly brown the chicken pieces. Remove and set aside.
• In the same pot, saute the leeks, onion, celery and salt until the vegetables are tender crisp. Return the chicken to the pot and add the water, bouillon and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
• In a small bowl or cup, combine the flour and lemon juice; pour into the pot and stir.
• Beat the cream and the egg yolks with 2 tablespoons of the hot liquid; stir into pot. Heat through, but do not allow to boil as the cream will curdle. Sprinkle in the parsley before serving.

BELGIUM CHICKEN WATERZOOI

Steps:

• Stock: Place the chicken in a pot of water, covering the chicken entirely. Add 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 1 onion, cut into approximately 1-inch pieces. Add parsley, thyme and a bay leaf and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium low and cook until chicken is cooked, about 20-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Cut the remaining carrots, celery, onions into 1-inch sticks and place them in a saucepan with water to cover. Cut the leeks into 1-inch sticks, slice the mushrooms and add to saucepan. Parboil vegetables in salted water about 15 minutes. Take out the chicken when poached (no red color must be seen under the skin) and discard vegetables from stock. Strain the chicken stock through a strainer. Remove the skin from the chicken and cut chicken into 8 pieces. Put the chicken and the parboiled vegetables into the stock. Mix the egg yolks with the cream and add to the stock. Add the lemon juice and butter. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Note:
• I cook the second set of vegs. in the chicken stock to give more flavor. You could use canned chicken broth too.
• Serve in soup plates with boiled potatoes or white steamed rice. Enjoy!

WATERZOOI OF CHICKEN

Steps:

• Remove excess fat from chicken cavity. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Place 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon thyme in cavity. Season with salt and pepper.
• Melt butter in heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent (but not browned); about 5 minutes.
• Place the chicken, breast side up, in the Dutch oven, on top of the onions. Add chicken broth (and water, if necessary) to mostly cover the chicken (by about two-thirds). Cover and simmer gently over low heat for 30 minutes.
• Skim the suface to remove any foam and fat. Add the carrots, leeks, and celery. Add the remaining parsley sprigs, thyme and bay leaf. Cover, and adjust heat to maintain a slow simmer for another 30 minutes.
• Add the potatoes and continue to simmer until potatoes are done and chicken is very tender, about 20 or 30 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Remove chicken and transfer to a large plate. Use a slotted spoon or similar tool to remove parsley and bay leaves from broth. Let the chicken rest until it is cool enough to handle, then just use your fingers to remove the skin and peel meat from the bones. Discard skin and bones. Continue to use your fingers to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
• Place Dutch oven with broth (which has cooled a little) over medium heat. While that's heating up, beat the cream and the egg yolks together in a bowl. Now, take a ladleful of hot broth and slowly add to the egg yolk mixture, while stirring. This tempers the yolks. Then, slowly stir the tempered egg yolk mixture into the larger pot of broth and vegetables. Do not boil or the egg yolks might curdle. Add the chicken. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
• Serve in bowls, making sure everyone gets equal amounts of chicken, vegetable and broth. I serve a with a hearty loaf of hand-sliced bread.
• Note: Waterzooi can be prepare almost entirely in advance, and the flavors are actually enhanced by sitting overnight in the refrigerator. The day before you plan to serve the dish, prepare the recipe through Step 5. Let cool completely and refrigerate the broth and vegetable separately from the chcken. The following day, before serving, reheat the chicken in the broth. Prepare the egg yolk and cream mixture and proceed with the last steps of the recipe. (The chicken may remain in the broth.).

GENTSE WATERZOOI

Steps:

• Chop all the vegetables (except the potatoes) finely (brunoise) and cook for 5 minutes in the vegetable stock. Drain, but keep the stock.
• Poach the chicken filets in the same vegetable stock for about 20 minutes.
• Cook the potatoes.
• Keep vegetables and chicken warm, while making the sauce.
• Strain the vegetable stock.
• Make a roux (or beurre manié) from 100 gr butter and 100 gr of flour = Melt the butter and add the flour, add 1 l of the vegetable stock, let cook until slightly thickened.
• Finish off by adding the cream and the beaten egg yolks and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Use soup plates for serving. Starting with the vegetables, put the cut up chicken filet on top, add sauce and garnish with potatoes and parsley.

WATERZOOI AU POULET (BELGIAN CHICKEN SOUP)

Steps:

• Place all the vegetables into a large saucepan, place the chicken on top of the vegetables then add the broth.
• Season with salt and plenty of pepper, bring to the boil then reduce the heat, partially cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.
• At the end of the cooking time, place the egg yolks in a small saucepan over a medium heat and cook, stirring with a wooden fork or spoon until lightly scrambled.
• To serve - transfer the eggs to a large soup tureen, pour the soup broth, vegetables and pieces of chicken into the eggs stirring constantly. Garnish with chopped parsley.