History
Waterzooi dates to medieval Ghent when the Leie and Schelde rivers ran through the city and freshwater fish were the available protein. The name combines 'water' and 'zooien', a dialect verb for simmering. By the 15th century waterzooi was the dish of Ghent's guild feasts. The original recipe used freshwater fish; as rivers were diverted and city growth reduced the catch, cooks shifted to chicken (waterzooi van kip), but the fish version is the authentic Ghentian one. Every brasserie from the Graslei to the Patershol serves a version.
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Common allergens: Fish, Dairy, Gluten
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 800g mixed North Sea fish fillets (cod, haddock, sole)
- 200ml dry white wine
- 1L good fish or vegetable stock
- 200ml double cream
- 2 large leeks, white part only, sliced thin
- 3 carrots, diced small
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 2 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 30g butter
- Parsley, bay leaf, salt, white pepper
- Crusty white bread to serve
Method
- Melt butter in a wide pot. Soften onion, leeks, carrots, celery and potatoes over medium heat for 10 minutes without browning.
- Add wine and stock. Season with salt, white pepper and a bay leaf. Simmer 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Cut fish into large chunks. Lower into the simmering broth and poach gently for 8 minutes.
- Stir in cream. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove bay leaf.
- Ladle into deep bowls, ensuring fish and vegetables are evenly distributed. Finish with chopped parsley.
- Serve immediately with crusty white bread to soak up the broth.
Tip from the editors. Do not let the broth boil hard once the cream is in or it will split. A gentle simmer is the key to the silky Ghent style.
Where to eat waterzooi van vis
Waterzooi van Vis in Ghent
't Klokhuys ★ 4.3
't Klokhuys runs out of a narrow Patershol house and is one of the most cited places in the city for Gentse waterzooi. The room seats fewer than 30 people.
OrderGentse waterzooi with chicken: the stock is rich, the vegetables are cooked right through.
TipBook at least two days ahead; the room is tiny and fills weeks ahead in summer.
Amadeus Gent 1 ★ 4.1
Amadeus in Patershol built its reputation on all-you-can-eat spareribs served in warm candlelit rooms since it opened in the city's oldest quarter.
OrderThe all-you-can-eat spareribs format, which is the reason most tables are booked before the week starts.
TipSunday lunch from noon is the most relaxed service; evening bookings go weeks ahead in high summer.
Pakhuis ★ 4.2
Pakhuis fills a converted 19th-century warehouse behind a central alley. The cavernous glass-roofed interior keeps a menu of daily-fresh oysters, moules.
OrderMoules frites: the mussels arrive in a deep cast-iron pot and the frites alongside are fried to order.
TipBook ahead for weekend dinner; the warehouse vibe is worth it for a big-group celebration.
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