Waterzooi met griet en witloof (Flemish fish stew with endives)

For ➍
2 carrots, cut into small cubes
1 leek, into small cubes
6 endives
50 g butter
1 l fish stock*
1 kg mussels**
400 g fillet of brill (or lemon sole)
2 egg yolks
2 dl cream
juice of ½ lemon
3 tbs chopped parsley
pepper & salt
100 g North Sea shrimps

Cut 4 endives into small cubes. Stew the vegetables in ¾ of the butter. Pour over the fish stock and let simmer for 20 m.
Cut the 2 other endives in half and simmer in the remaining butter.
Prepare the mussels and remove them from the shell. Beat the egg yolks into the cream and set aside. Cut the fillets into strips and poach them for 2 m in the soup. Scoop them out and divide among 4 warmed plates.
Do the same with the vegetables from the soup, baked chicory and mussels.
Add the egg mixture to the soup and bring to the boil, stirring. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and parsley.
Season with salt and pepper.
Pour into the plates with the shrimp.

*Use less to have a less 'supy' dish.
**Omit and replace with more fish.

Waterzooi van hondshaai & saffraan (saffron waterzooi of dogfish)

For ➍
600 g dogfish, cut into 5 cm pieces [or firm white fish like cod]
1 l fumet*
2 stalks leek
4 stalks celery
1 fennel
3 onions
2 cloves garlic
1 tbs olive oil
3 sprigs thyme
3 laurel leaves
4 capsules saffron powder (or threads)
a splash vermouth​
15 cl cream**
1 tbs soft butter***
1 tbs flour***
a few twigs chervil
sourdough bread
pepper & salt

Heat the fish fumet.
Clean the leek, celery and fennel and cut them into rough pieces.
Peel the onions and cut them roughly.
Peel the garlic, press into pulp.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Fry the onions. Add the leek, celery and fennel. Simmer for a while. Add the garlic pulp.
Put the pieces of fish on the vegetables.
Add the thyme, laurel and saffron. Mix carefully, add a splash of vermouth.
Pour the hot fumet over the fish. Add the cream.**
Add freshly ground pepper and salt.
Let the waterzooi boil on a gentle fire for about 5 m.
Knead the butter and the flour into an even mixture.***
Stir some of the mixture under the cooking liquid to bind the sauce.*** [ Add some more if necessary].***
Continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 m.
Check a piece of fish whether it is done.
Sprinkle with soms chervil. Serve with sourdough bread.

*Use less if you want a thicker sauce without butter or flour.*** Be sure the fish is covered with liquid.
**Use soy replacement product to avoid real cream.
***Omit if you want. Make the sauce thicker by reducing the amount of fumet. See (*).

Groene waterzooi met kabeljauw (green Flemish cod stew)

For ➋
2.5 cl full cream
pinch bicarbonate
½ bunch curl parsley, rinsed
1 bunch watercress, rinsed
2 pieces cod fillets (about 200 g each)
1.5 laurel leaves
1 twig thyme
½ zucchini, unpeeled, diced
1.5 stems celery, cut into 1 cm pieces
½ stalk leeks, cut into 1 cm pieces
dash olive oil
½ clove garlic, crushed into pulp
½ onion, finely sliced
300 g potatoes, diced
½ l fish fumet
pepper & salt
50 g samphire (optional)

Heat 4 dl of fish fumet.
Bring water to a boil in a jar and add a pinch of baking soda to preserve the green color of the herbs.
Add the parsley and the watercress (keep some watercress apart for decoration). Boil for 5 m. Scoop the greens with a slotted spoon from the liquid and collect everything in the cup of the blender.
Add a dash of the cooking liquid and puree the spices in the machine. Let the appliance run for a long time, until you have a fine pureed sauce.
Pour a dash of olive oil into a large pan with a raised edge. Heat the oil on a medium heat.
Put the potato in the pot. Simmer briefly (or until the potato turns opaque, probably 5-10 m). Add the onion chips, then the garlic pulp. Heat for a few m. Lower the fire, stirring occasionally.
Add leeks and the celery to the pot, raise the heat a little higher and stir.
Add the zucchini and simmer.
Add the leaves of laurel and the sprigs of thyme. Season the stew with freshly grinded pepper and a pinch of salt.
Pour the warm fish fumet into the pot, until the pieces are covered for ¾. Bring everything to the boil, preferably under the lid.
A few m later, put the portions of fresh cod on top of the steaming hot waterzooi. Put the lid back on the pot and let the pieces of fish poach for 5 m on medium heat. Turn the pieces of cod and leave the fish in the simmering stew for another 3-4 m. Pierce the fish to check the doneness. Do not overcook the noble cod.
Remove the pieces of cod from the pot and set aside for a moment.
Remove the sprigs of thyme and the leaves of laurel from the stew. Pour a little cream, followed by the green herb sauce of watercress and parsley.
Stir, taste and add enough pepper from the grinder and a pinch of salt.
Optional: stir the samphire in some oil for 1-2 m)
Serve a portion of vegetables with potatoes in the soft green sauce in a deep plate.
Place a piece of cod on top and finish the plates with a tuft of fresh watercress. (Optional: add some samphire for a more salty taste).

Waterzooi met aardappelen (Flemish potato & chicken stew)

For ➍

500 g waxy potatoes
1 large farm chicken
1 onion
1 white part of leek
2 carrots
2 white parts of celery
2 dl cream
bouquet garni ( thyme, bay leaf parsley )
1 clove
salt & pepper
1 tbs cornstarch*

Divide the chicken in four. Pierce the onion with cloves. Then put the onion with the four pieces of chicken and bouquet garni in a large pot of water and bring to the boil .
Poach the fillets for about 30 m, the thighs for 45 m.
Peel the winter roots. Add to the chicken. Poach for 5 m.
Meanwhile, cook the peeled potatoes in plenty of salted water. Drain and keep warm.
Remove chicken, vegetables, onion and the bouquet garni from the water.
Reduce the sauce reduce until about 4 dl. Add the cream (and cornstarch*).
Season with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken, potatoes and vegetables.
Warm briefly and serve.

*Optional.

Waterzooi van Vlaamse reus (Flemish rabbit stew)

For ➍
1 rabbit, in pieces (1 kg)
50 cl vegetable stock
25 cl dry white wine
1 branch thyme
2 bay leaves
cream
salt & pepper
4 potatoes, peeled & sliced
2 carrots, sliced lengthwise
2 leeks, sliced lengthwise
3 stalks celery, sliced lengthwise
1 fennel, sliced lengthwise

Put the rabbit pieces in a pan with water. Bring to a boil. When boiling, remove from the fire and move rabbit pieces to another pan.*
Add the stock and wine. Add water to cover the meat. Add thyme and bay leaves. Cook on low fire for 45 m**. (Add water if necessary).
Meanwhile, steam or microwave the vegetables*** al dente****. Keep warm.
Remove the pieces of rabbit from the pan and keep warm.
Bring the cooking liquid to a boil and reduce to ⅔*****. Add a bit of cream, add salt & pepper and bring to a boil.
Add the rabbit and vegetables, stir and heat without boiling.
Serve in a warm serving dish. Have a dry white wine (s.a. Pinot Gris) with it.

*Brown the pieces of rabbit instead of boiling.
**When using rabbit fillets, reduce to approx. 20 m and use less liquid.
***Add a few sliced onions to the vegetables.
****20 m should be enough for al dente.
*****Or reduce and use a few tbs for the sauce.

Waterzooi (Flemish fish stew)

For ➍
800 g mixed freshwater fish (pike, trout...)*
2 stalks of celery
2 leeks
4 carrots
1 small shallot
2 twigs of thyme
0,5 l fish broth**
30 cl dry white wine***
20 g butter
2 tbs parsley, chopped
2 tbs green celery, chopped
1 lemon
salt & pepper
(50 g cream, 1 egg yolk)
(4 slices of bread, crust removed. 20 g butter)

Cut the cleaned fish in equal chunks (3x3cm).

Cut the leeks in 1 cm segments. Shred the celery . Slice the carrots and the shallot.

Heat the pan. Melt the butter. Add shallot, carrots, leek and celery and fry for a minute. Add fish broth and bring to a boil. Add wine. Add thyme, salt & pepper.

Add fish and simmer for 8 m.

(Whisk yolk into cream. Take soup off heat. Add cream)

(Melt the butter and bake the bread golden brown. Put a slice in a deep dish). Pour over the stew and sprinkle with green celery and parsley. Serve as a main dish with rye bread or a few boiled potatoes.

*Avoid salmon. Firm white sea fish can be used instead, such as monkfish. A variation can be made with chicken (replace the broth with chicken stock).
**Use less for less soup-like dish.
***Replace with a Belgian white wheat beer for a different taste.

This Flemish recipe of Ghent, called waterzooi, was orginally made with river fish. As the water quality declined, it was replaced with chicken. Several other cities have their own version.