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History
Waterzooi is called Gentse waterzooi after Ghent, where it originated. The second half of the name comes from Middle Dutch words for boiling. Visit Gent says the original was made with fish from the Lys and the Scheldt, and the most accepted theory is that the fish vanished when the rivers became too polluted. Chicken waterzooi is now the more common version.
Book a food experience
Tours, tastings and classes from the cities on this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.
Common allergens: Dairy, Egg, Celery
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, jointed, or 4 chicken legs
- 2 leeks, 3 carrots, 3 celery sticks, all julienned
- 1 onion, 2 bay leaves, parsley stalks
- 1.2 litres chicken stock
- 2 egg yolks
- 150ml double cream
- 50g butter, salt, white pepper, nutmeg
Method
- Poach the chicken gently in the stock with the onion, bay and parsley stalks for 35 minutes.
- Lift out the chicken, strip the meat and keep warm. Strain and keep the broth.
- Sweat the julienned leek, carrot and celery in the butter for 8 minutes without colouring.
- Add the broth and simmer 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the cream, then temper in a ladle of hot broth.
- Off the heat, stir the cream mixture back into the pot; do not let it boil.
- Return the chicken, season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg, and serve in deep bowls.
Tip from the editors. Keep the pot below a simmer once the egg and cream go in, or the broth will split into curds.
Where to eat waterzooï
Waterzooï in Antwerp
Bistrot du Nord 1 ★ ★ 4.4
Bistrot du Nord in Antwerp keeps one Michelin star for hearty classical bistro cooking. Michaël Rewers leans on meat and tripe in a tiled vintage room.
OrderAnything off the meat menu; tripe and braised cheek are the chef's signatures.
Book2 weeks ahead
TipClosed Saturday and Sunday. Lunch is the better-value entry, around 50 euro for three courses.
Elfde Gebod ★ 4.1
Elfde Gebod sits in a 16th-century building beside the cathedral, walls covered in religious statues. Located in Historisch Centrum. Priced at €€.
OrderThe rabbit stew in beer sauce or the Flemish carbonade.
TipOpen daily noon to ten. The Suikerrui sister-room on the Scheldt is the same kitchen with a different view if Torfbrug is full.
Marolus ★ 3.9
Marolus in Antwerp on Hendrik Conscienceplein runs an under-15-euro lunch plate of the day. Located in Historisch Centrum. At Hendrik Conscienceplein 14.
TryLunch dish of the day
TipLunch only, no dinner. The square's tree-lined terrace is the better seat in summer.
Waterzooï in Bruges
Featured by TableJourney as a signature dish of Bruges. See where to eat Waterzooï in Bruges or the Bruges signature dishes guide.
Waterzooï in Brussels
Chez Leon ★ 4.0
Chez Leon has run on Rue des Bouchers 18 since 1893, when Léon Vanlancker opened his Friture Léon, and its menu features Jumbo Zeeland mussels.
OrderJumbo Zeeland mussels, plumper and more generous, in a generous pot with crispy fries.
TipGroup bookings and business meals are taken, and the menu can be downloaded as a PDF before you go.
Au Vieux Saint Martin ★ 4.3
Au Vieux Saint Martin has been a Brussels landmark on Place du Grand Sablon since 1968; the Niels family's ancestor invented the Filet Américain in 1924.
OrderThe Filet Américain, a recipe created by Joseph Niels in 1924.
TipThe restaurant takes no reservations, so walk in any day; the kitchen runs non-stop from noon to 23h and the last order is at 23h.
Aux Armes de Bruxelles ★ 4.2
Aux Armes de Bruxelles, at Rue des Bouchers 13, has kept the same rooms and recipes since 1921, with classics such as vol-au-vent and Flemish beef stew.
OrderFlemish beef stew, vol-au-vent or shrimp croquettes, classics that have been on the menu for years.
TipEvery 6 weeks the restaurant introduces new seasonal suggestions, and its cocktails change with the seasons.
Waterzooï in Lille
Le Lys ★ 3.8
Le Lys occupies a historic cafe facing the Grand-Place in Lille, a brasserie of carbonade, moules-frites and waterzoï with regional beer to match.
OrderWaterzoï, the creamy Flemish stew you rarely see on Grand-Place cards.
TipWaffles and pancakes run all afternoon, which makes the terrace useful between services.
More cities are in research. Want waterzooï covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.