Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Belgian Chicken Waterzooi
比利時奶香雞肉蔬菜湯鍋
Recipe overview
Chicken, potatoes and finely cut vegetables simmer in stock, then a whole egg and cream give a gentle creamy finish; heat the egg mixture gently to the stated safe endpoint.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 700 g chicken thighs
- 400 g medium potatoes
- 1 piece leek
- 2 piece carrot
- 2 stalk stalks celery
Seasoning
- 25 g butter
- 700 ml chicken stock
- 120 ml cooking cream
- 1 piece egg
- 2 tbsp parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
02
Tools
- knife
- cutting board
- pot
- lid
- wooden spoon
- ladle
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- serving bowl
03
Steps
Step 1
Trim and season chicken
Trim 700 g chicken thigh into roughly 4 cm pieces, pat dry and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp white pepper; keep refrigerated until needed.
Step 2
Cut potatoes and vegetables
Cut 400 g potatoes into 3 cm chunks, slice 1 leek into rings, cut 2 carrots into batons and 2 celery stalks into 1 cm pieces.
Step 3
Soften leek and vegetables
Melt 25 g butter over medium-low heat; cook the leek, carrots and celery for 6 minutes, stirring, until glossy and slightly softened without browning.
Step 4
Add the chicken
Add the seasoned chicken pieces and turn them through the vegetables for 2 minutes, just until the outside loses its raw pink colour.
Step 5
Pour in stock
Pour in 700 ml stock and scrape the base of the pot; bring to a boil, then immediately lower to a gentle simmer.
Step 6
Simmer the chicken
Cover and simmer the chicken over low heat for 20 minutes; the thickest piece must reach 75°C and release clear juices.
Step 7
Add the potatoes
Add the 400 g potato chunks, keep the broth at a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes until a knife enters them easily.
Step 8
Check chicken and potatoes
Cut open the thickest chicken piece and test one potato: the chicken must be opaque with no pink centre and the potato tender but not collapsing.
Step 9
Mix egg and cream
In a bowl, whisk 1 egg with 120 ml cream until completely smooth and no streaks of egg white remain.
Step 10
Temper the cream mixture
Whisk 150 ml hot broth into the egg-cream mixture one spoonful at a time until warm and fluid; do not pour it into the pot while cold.
Step 11
Finish the egg liaison over low heat
Slowly stir the tempered egg-cream into the pot. Stir continuously over the lowest heat until the centre reaches 75°C for at least 30 seconds, then remove from heat. Do not boil hard; two minutes of stirring off the heat alone does not ensure the egg is cooked.
Step 12
Garnish and serve
Fold in 2 tbsp parsley, divide chicken, potatoes and vegetables among four warm bowls, and ladle over the creamy broth immediately.
Common mistakes
- Widely different chicken sizes leave small pieces dry before the largest piece reaches a safe temperature.
- Adding the potatoes with the chicken makes them collapse during the longer simmer and cloud the broth.
- Pouring the egg cream into boiling broth curdles it into strands instead of a velvety finish.
Tips
Cut the potatoes while the chicken simmers, keep them in clean water, and drain only when they are ready to enter the pot.
Bring the measured cream-and-egg mixture close to room temperature while the chicken rests; a cold liaison is more likely to split.
