Supper's facilitator Veronique Cardon shares her mother's recipe, originating from the beautiful city of Ghent, in the Flanders’ region of Belgium. Waterzooi derives from the Flemish term “zooien” which means “to boil.” It is hearty but still light, especially if you skip the optional creamy sauce. It is a perfect dish for entertaining, as it can be prepared in advance.
Ingredients
Additional Notes
Serve in soup dishes. Can be frozen in single portions.
Instructions
In a large pan, cook the minced onion and shallots in oil and butter over medium heat. When golden, add the chicken pieces and brown lightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken broth, parsley, fresh thyme and bay leaves.
Simmer on medium heat. After 30 mins, add the carrots and celery. After another 15 mins, add the potatoes and leeks. Continue simmering another 15 - 30 mins.
Serve the dish as is, or prepare and add the creamy sauce to the hot stock after everything is cooked.
Optional creamy sauce (adds a velvety, tart taste to the soup): The creamy sauce must be carefully prepared so the egg yolks don't curdle when mixed with the hot stock. In a separate bowl, mix the egg yolks with the cream and, slowly, spoon by spoon, add 1 cup of hot stock to the egg yolk mixture. Then, again slowly, spoon by spoon, add the lemon juice. Now the creamy mixture can be added to the entire soup or offered on the side for individual bowls. (Recipe♦431)