Waterzooi Of Chicken


From ruth van waerebeek's “everyone eats well in belgium cookbook.” don’t be turned off by the unusual name; it's dutch in origin (pronounced vah-ter-zoy); it’s basically a hearty chicken and vegetable soup/stew thing, with a deliciously rich and creamy broth. (i tell the kids that it’s belgian chicken soup, and they love it.) it's not hard to make at all, and great for entertaining since it can be prepared almost entirely ahead of time.

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.
About 5 minutes.
Place the chicken , breast side up , in the dutch oven , on top of the onions.
Add chicken broth to mostly cover the chicken.
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 .

Ingredients


whole chickens, salt and pepper, bay leaves, fresh parsley, dried thyme, unsalted butter, onions, chicken broth, carrots, leeks, celery ribs, baking potatoes, heavy cream, egg yolks