Chicken Waterzooi Food

WATERZOOI OF CHICKEN

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 (but not browned); about 5 minutes.
• Place the chicken, breast side up, in the Dutch oven, on top of the onions. Add chicken broth (and water, if necessary) to mostly cover the chicken (by about two-thirds). 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 chicken rest until it is cool enough to handle, then just use your fingers to remove the skin and peel meat from the bones. Discard skin and bones. Continue to use your fingers to shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
• Place Dutch oven with broth (which has cooled a little) over medium heat. While that's heating up, beat the cream and the egg yolks together in a bowl. Now, take a ladleful of hot broth and slowly add to the egg yolk mixture, while stirring. This tempers the yolks. Then, slowly stir the tempered egg yolk mixture into the larger pot of broth and vegetables. Do not boil or the egg yolks might curdle. Add the chicken. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
• Serve in bowls, making sure everyone gets equal amounts of chicken, vegetable and broth. I serve a with a hearty loaf of hand-sliced bread.
• Note: Waterzooi can be prepare almost entirely in advance, and the flavors are actually enhanced by sitting overnight in the refrigerator. The day before you plan to serve the dish, prepare the recipe through Step 5. Let cool completely and refrigerate the broth and vegetable separately from the chcken. The following day, before serving, reheat the chicken in the broth. Prepare the egg yolk and cream mixture and proceed with the last steps of the recipe. (The chicken may remain in the broth.).

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.

BELGIUM CHICKEN WATERZOOI

Steps:

• 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 bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium low and cook until chicken is cooked, about 20-30 minutes. 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 about 15 minutes. 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 strainer. Remove the skin from 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.
• Note:
• I cook the second set of vegs. in the chicken stock to give more flavor. You could use canned chicken broth too.
• Serve in soup plates with boiled potatoes or white steamed rice. Enjoy!

CHICKEN WATERZOOI STEW

Steps:

• Steam the celery and carrots for 5 minutes and set aside.
• Heat the oil and one tablespoon butter in a deep skillet; sauté chicken until golden and juices run clear (about 4 minutes per side).
• Cool chicken slightly and cut crosswise into large pieces; cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Add remaining butter to pan and lightly sauté the shallots, mushrooms, leek, garlic and thyme for about 5 minutes.
• Add the St. Amand Ale and peppercorns, increase heat and simmer for about 15 minutes till the liquid is reduced by half, stirring to loosen brown bits in the pan.
• Stir in half & half and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens.
• Add chicken, celery and carrots; heat through.
• Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
• Accompany with steamed new potatoes, a radicchio salad, and St. Amand French Country Ale.

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.