Make a vegetable stock of carrot, leek, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, bay leaves, pepper & salt. Place the chicken pieces in the hot stock. Let the chicken simmer for about 30 minutes. Check whether it is cooked enough. Cut carrots, leeks and celery in very fine julienne. Stew the vegetables covered, in some butter with a half cup of broth. Put the preparation in a large casserole and add cream. Remove the chicken from the stock and remove the skin. Keep the pieces covered in foil.

waterzooi from Ghent

chicken carrots leeks celery potatoes butter cream pepper and salt

ingredients - info eggs parsley garlic thyme rosemary bay leaf vegetable stock

Originally, this medieval dish was made from fresh water fish, including eel, carp, pike and perch. These fish species were readily available in the canals of Ghent. When the inland water became too polluted and fish too expensive, waterzooi with chicken became the standard.

Strain the vegetable stock. Pour a few ladles of broth into the casserolle. Season the waterzooi to taste with pepper from the mill and some salt. Cook peeled potatoes until done. Dissolve some plain flour in water, bring the waterzooi to the boil and bind with the solution. Now add the hot chicken and the potatoes and let it simmer for a while. You can also serve the cooked potatoes separately. In a deep plate: a few pieces of chicken and potatoes, overflowed with the sauce. Finish with fresh chopped parsley.