Waterzooi
Photo: Martin Bravenboer from Utrecht, The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
Waterzooi is a Northern Belgian stew of fish and vegetables in a broth thickened with egg yolk and cream. Its Dutch name means watery mess, though the result is silky rather than messy. The key step is tempering the yolk with a ladle of hot stock before it goes into the pot, which keeps the liquid smooth. Eel, pike and bass are traditional, but any firm fish works. Serve it with a baguette for the broth.
Instructions
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leek, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf and peppercorns, and sauté for a few minutes.
Keep cooking the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until they soften without taking on any brown color.
Pour in the stock and bring it to a boil.
Add the fish, turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes. Lift the fish out of the pot and cut it into pieces.
Whisk the egg yolk in a bowl and slowly stir in 200 ml of the hot stock, so the yolk warms gradually and does not curdle. Stir this mixture back into the pot along with the cream.
Bring the pot back to just below boiling, without letting it boil. Return the fish to the pot, taste, and add salt as needed.
Serve in shallow bowls.
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