Waterzooi

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Waterzooi is a classic stew of Northern Belgian cuisine. Its name is Dutch, meaning "watery mess". It is sometimes called Gentse Waterzooi (in Dutch) or waterzooi gantois (in French), which refers to Ghent, a city in Belgium.

The original form is made of fish, either freshwater or sea, (waterzooi de poissons, viszooitje), though today chicken waterzooi (waterzooi de poulet, kippenwaterzooi) is more common. The most accepted theory is that rivers of Ghent became too polluted and the fish there dissappeared^[1]. The stew is made of the fish or chicken, vegetables including carrots, leeks and potatoes, herbs, eggs, cream and butter.

Typically, fish such as eel, pike, carp and bass are used. (Other fish such as cod, monkfish, or halibut can be used.) Gentse Waterzooi van Kip includes chicken. Gentse Waterzooi van Tarbot includes turbot.

Both the chicken and fish versions are based on an egg yolk and cream thickened vegetable broth and usually served as a soup with a baguette to sop up the liquid.

1 Recipe
- 1.1 Ingredients
- 1.2 Method
2 Cultural references
3 References

[edit] Recipe

[edit] Ingredients

500g fish of choice
75g butter (unsalted)
500 cl vegetable or fish stock
1 leek, cleaned and julienned
2 carrots, julienned
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces
bay leaf
10 black peppercorns
1 egg yolk
250cl double cream
salt

[edit] Method

Melt butter in large pan over medium heat - add vegetables, bay leaf and peppercorns and sauté (stir in the butter) for 5 minutes without allowing vegetables to brown, add stock and bring to boil. Add fish and reduce heat to allow the liquid to simmer, about 10 minutes. Remove fish and cut into pieces. To the egg yolk add 200 ml of the stock, stirring while adding - add the mixture to the pot, with the cream and bring the mixture back to just below boiling. Add fish and test for flavour, adding salt as required. Serve in shallow bowls. Total cooking time, 30 minutes.

[edit] Cultural references

Waterzooi is mentioned in the Asterix adventure Asterix in Belgium. Before the final war with the Romans the women cook up waterzooi for the Belgian warriors. One character says "Waterzooi, waterzooi, morne plat" (waterzooi, waterzooi, dismal dish), in allusion to Victor Hugo's "Waterloo, Waterloo, morne plaine".