Waterzooie Flemish Chicken Soup Recipes

CHICKEN WATERZOOI

Steps:

• Preparation for the 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 poach until chicken is cooked. 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. 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 fine sieve. Take the skin off of 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.
• Serve in soup plates with boiled potatoes or white steamed rice.

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.

WATERZOOIE - FLEMISH CHICKEN SOUP

Steps:

• Rub the chicken pieces with butter, then broil, 4 to 5 inches away from the heat, for 20 minutes, turning often.
• When lightly browned, put in a kettle with the giblets, and all the rest of the ingredients except for the lemon juice, egg yolks and cream. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or more (less for fryers), until the chicken is tender.
• Remove chicken and giblets from the broth and cool. Discard the cheese cloth or aluminum foil packet.
• Strain the broth and skim off the fat. (If you're not serving the soup immediately, you could put the broth in the freezer to make the skimming easier.) Return broth to kettle and stir in the lemon juice.
• When ready to serve, cut the chicken in big chunks and mince the giblets. Remove bones and skin. Bring the broth to a simmer, then return the chicken and giblets to the broth. Heat through, covered, for 5 minutes.
• When ready to serve, beat the eggs and cream together, then beat a cup of the simmering broth into the egg cream and whisk the whole mixture back into the kettle.
• Rewarm at very low heat for a couple of minutes; don't bring to a boil or it will curdle! Ladle into deep souplates then float a thin lemon slice, sprinkled with parsley, in each one.
• Serve hot.

CHICKEN WATERZOOIE

Steps:

• Lightly season the capon with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a heavy casserole. Spread the vegetables and parsley over the bottom of the casserole and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Add the capon and seasonings. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
• Heat the broth and pour it over the capon just to cover. Cover the casserole and simmer for 1 hour, or until the capon is tender.
• Remove the capon. Discard all bones and skin. Cut the capon into strips about 1 inch by 2 inches. Place them on an oven-proof platter. Moisten them with 1 cup of the broth and keep them warm in a low oven.
• When the broth in the casserole has cooled somewhat, strain it through a sieve into a large bowl, pressing down on the vegetables before discarding them.
• Return the broth to the casserole and add the mixture of egg yolks, cream and lemon juice, very gradually, stirring constantly. Cook over lowest heat until the soup thickens a little.
• Return the pieces of capon to the casserole. Add the parsley and garlic. Serve in soup plates. Garnish each portion with a slice of lemon.

CHICKEN WATERZOOI

Steps:

• Trim and wash the vegetables and cut them into julienne matchsticks one and three-quarters inches long and one-eighth inch wide. (This should come to about five cups in all.) Toss them in a large mixing bowl with the tarragon and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
• Wash and dry the chicken pieces and set aside.
• Using a casserole large enough to hold the chicken and the vegetables comfortably, layer in the following order: one-third of the vegetables, half of the chicken, half of the remaining vegetables, the rest of the chicken and the remaining vegetables. Pour in the vermouth and enough chicken broth to barely cover the chicken. Up to this point, the recipe may be prepared several hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.
• When ready to cook, bring to the simmer, covered, and cook slowly 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken pieces are tender and, when pierced, the juices run clear.
• Strain out the cooking liquid, degrease it and adjust the seasonings.
• Blend the cream and cornstarch in a small mixing bowl. Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl and stir in the cream mixture. Slowly whisk in the hot cooking liquid. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Set over medium-low heat, swirling the casserole gently, until the sauce is warmed and thickens slightly, but do not bring to the simmer or the egg yolks will curdle.
• To serve, ladle the chicken, vegetables and sauce into large warm soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with parsley.
• Serve with boiled potatoes, noodles, gnocchi or just good French bread.

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.