Waterzooi of Fish

Waterzooi of Fish

Adapted from two cookbooks: The Belgian Cookbook by Nika Hazelton

and Everyone Eats Well in Belgium by Ruth Van Waerebeek

This famous fish soup originated in the town of Ghent in Belgium, a city I recently visited on my Tauck Belgium and Dutch Waterways cruise.  Waterzooi literally means “simmering water.” In Belgium, where I grew up as a preteen, they make a version of this with chicken as well.  However, my mother preferred this one as it was a delicious way to trick her daughters into eating fish, something we normally disdained. Alas, she never passed down the recipe she perfected so I’ve adapted my own taking inspiration from two excellent Belgian cookbooks. On my last evening in Brussels, I ordered this dish taking me down memory lane. To be honest, this recipe is infinitely bette . Enjoy.

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoon sweet butter

2 large leeks, white part only, cut into julienne strips

1 Vidalia onion, finely minced

3 carrots, peeled and cut into julienne strips

2 celery stalks, cut into julienne strips

¼ celery root, cut into julienne strips

3 ½ cups fish stock (most fish stores carry this or make your own)

1 cup dry white wine

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dry thyme

1 bay leaf

Pinch of saffron threads (optional)

Salt and white pepper to taste

2 pounds of firm-fleshed white fish, cut into 1-inch cubes, such as perch, turbot, cod, halibut, or monkfish (which I prefer as it is more forgiving if overcooked!)

1 cup heavy cream

3 large egg yolks

1 Tablespoons fresh chives, finely minced

Salt and pepper to taste

18-24 small, boiled potatoes such as Yukon Gold or new potatoes (3 per person)

Cooking instructions:

1.    Melt the butter on a low heat in a large casserole or Dutch oven.  Add all the vegetables and cook for seven minutes, stirring frequently so that they do not turn brown.

2.    Add fish stock, wine, thyme, bay leaf, and saffron and simmer for five minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

3.    Add the fish and simmer uncovered for approximately 10 minutes. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon and keep warm in the oven at a low temperature.

4.    In a small bowl, whisk together the heavy cream and the egg yolks. Then, add a ladle of warm broth to temper the egg mixture to avoid curdling later. 

5.    Stir in the cream and egg mixture back into fish broth and continue to whisk over a low temperature. (This will thicken the sauce.)

6.    Add back the fish and heat up for a minute or two.  Sprinkle with the chives and serve guests directly from the Dutch oven.

7.    Serve in warmed soup bowls along with small, boiled potatoes.

Makes: 6-8 servings.

Wine recommendation: Riesling, Albariño, Picpoul de Pinet, Muscadet, Chablis or a non-wood-aged Chardonnay.  You can also try a blond ale Belgian beer! That’s what the Belgians would select.