Curated recipes from 193 countries  •  New seasonal Mediterranean issue out now
Dinner Ideas — Global Recipe Journal
Regions All Regions Mediterranean & Italy East & South Asia Latin America & Caribbean Middle Eastern Nordic & European African Heritage North America Oceania & Pacific Browse Atlas

Overview

Ghent Waterzooi

Gentse Waterzooi, Kippenwaterzooi, Chicken Waterzooi

This ghent waterzooi recipe is Belgium's most famous stew: chicken poached gently with leeks, carrots and potatoes, then finished with cream and egg yolk into a pale, silky broth. It is rich but delicate — the vegetables stay sweet, the chicken stays tender, and the sauce is never boiled once the yolks go in. One serving is about 480 g.

Waterzooi comes from Ghent, in Flanders, and its name comes from the Flemish word for simmering in water. It began as a fisherman's stew, made with the freshwater catch of the rivers around the city — burbot was the traditional fish — simmered with vegetables in a broth enriched with cream and egg yolk. As the rivers became polluted and the fish grew scarce, chicken took the fish's place, and chicken waterzooi (kippenwaterzooi) became the version most people know today. Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor who was born in Ghent, is said to have eaten the dish even while suffering from gout.

Pairs well with: Crusty bread, Belgian beer & green salad

Provenance

Belgium flag Belgium

Ghent Flemish Classic

Nordic & European

Time Dedication

1h 10m

20m prep • 50m cook

Batch Yield

4 Servings

732 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 480 g

Technical Skill

Intermediate

Medium (One Pot)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Hearty Midday Main

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Soups & Broths Occasions: Sunday dinners, cold-weather suppers, family gatherings Cost: Medium — about $4–5 per serving at home
Tags: Chicken Savory Soup
A plate of Ghent waterzooi with a chicken leg, carrots, potatoes and creamy sauce sprinkled with parsley

Ghent Flemish Classic

Photo: Tamorlan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Medium — about $4–5 per serving at home (USD)

A home-style Ghent waterzooi with chicken poached gently and a cream and egg-yolk sauce that is never boiled.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 10m
P

Prep Stage: Vegetables and Liaison

20 Mins • One Pot

Peel and chunk the potatoes, slice the carrots, wash and slice the leeks and celery, and trim the chicken. Separate the two egg yolks into a small bowl and have the cream measured and ready — the finishing step moves fast and the sauce must not boil.

Maestro Tip: Cut the vegetables evenly so they all finish cooking at the same time.

  1. 1

    Sweat the Vegetables

    8 Mins Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)

    Melt the butter in a large, wide pot and sweat the leeks, celery and carrots for about 8 minutes, stirring, until softened but not coloured.

    Soft, not brown — colour would darken the pale sauce.

    Done when: The leeks are soft and translucent.

  2. 2

    Poach the Chicken

    25 Mins Gentle simmer, about 95°C (203°F)

    Add the chicken, stock and white wine, and bring just to a simmer. Add the potatoes, cover, and poach gently for 25 minutes until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F) and the potatoes are tender.

    Never let it boil hard — a rolling boil toughens the chicken and clouds the broth.

    Done when: The chicken is cooked through and the potatoes yield to a knife.

  3. 3

    Make the Liaison

    5 Mins Off the heat (broth about 80°C / 176°F)

    Lift the chicken and vegetables into a warm serving dish. Whisk the cream into the yolks, then whisk in a ladle of hot broth, a spoonful at a time, to warm the mixture. Stir it back into the pot off the heat.

    Tempering the yolks with hot broth is what stops them scrambling.

    Done when: The sauce is smooth, pale and lightly thickened.

  4. 4

    Thicken Gently

    5 Mins Very low heat, about 70°C (158°F)

    Return the pot to the lowest heat and stir for 3–5 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and white pepper. Do not let it boil.

    If the sauce gets too hot it will split — take it off the heat the moment it thickens.

    Done when: The sauce coats a spoon and leaves a clean line when you draw a finger through it.

  5. 5

    Serve

    2 Mins Serve hot, about 70°C (158°F)

    Return the chicken and vegetables to the sauce, warm through for 1 minute, and serve in wide bowls with the sauce ladled over. Scatter with parsley.

    Serve in bowls, not plates — the sauce is half the dish.

    Done when: The chicken glistens in the pale sauce and the parsley is bright green.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve the Ghent waterzooi at once in wide bowls, with crusty bread to mop up the creamy sauce.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

732

kcal / serving

Protein

42g

Complete AA

Carbs

33g

Complex

Fats

45g

Healthy

Per serving (4 servings · 1 serving ≈ 480 g)
Energy732 kcal
Protein42 g
Carbohydrates33 g
Fat45 g
Fibre5.0 g
Sugar7.0 g
Sodium815 mg
Per 100g
Energy153 kcal
Protein8.8 g
Carbohydrates6.9 g
Fat9.4 g
Fibre1 g
Sugar1.5 g
Sodium170 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin A (carrots), vitamin K and folate (leeks, parsley), vitamin B6 and niacin (chicken), vitamin C (leeks, potatoes), calcium (cream).

High-Protein Dinner

About 42.4 g of protein per serving from chicken and egg yolk makes this a genuinely filling main course.

Vegetables in the Sauce

Leeks, carrots, celery and potatoes add fibre and vitamins to a rich stew — about 5.0 g of fibre per serving.

Gentle Cooking

Poaching the chicken gently in stock, rather than frying it, keeps the meat tender and the broth clear.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

Crusty Bread

The creamy sauce is made for mopping up — a good crusty loaf is not optional.

Vegetables

Simple Green Salad

A sharp, lightly dressed salad cuts through the richness of the cream sauce.

Drinks

Belgian Blond Beer

A light Belgian blond ale matches the dish's Flemish roots and its gentle sweetness.

Dry White Wine

The same dry white wine used in the broth echoes the sauce's acidity at the table.

Complete menu

Ghent waterzooi with crusty bread, a simple green salad and a Belgian blond beer.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Boiling the Sauce After the Yolks Go In

Boiling scrambles the egg yolks and splits the cream — the sauce turns grainy and cannot be fixed. This is general cooking information, not medical advice.

Extra Cream on Top of a Rich Sauce

The dish already carries about 45.3 g of fat per serving; more cream adds fat without improving the flavour. This is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA rich, filling dinner; one serving is a full meal on its own.
  • ChildrenMild and soft; cut the chicken small and skip the wine's alcohol by simmering it fully.
  • ElderlySoft, warm and easy to eat; serve the sauce warm rather than piping hot.
  • Pregnant womenFine when the chicken is fully cooked; the wine's alcohol cooks off, but ask your clinician if you prefer to leave it out.
  • Breastfeeding womenA nourishing, protein-rich meal; the cream makes it energy-dense, so keep the portion to one serving.
  • AthletesAbout 42 g of protein per serving supports recovery after training.
  • Weight gainA calorie-rich dinner that suits a higher-energy day.
  • Weight lossRich in cream and fat; choose a smaller portion with salad and bread on the side.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesAbout 32.9 g of carbohydrate per serving from potatoes and vegetables; ask your clinician about portion size.
  • High blood pressureAbout 815 mg of sodium per serving; use low-salt stock and go easy on added salt, and ask your clinician if you are on a low-sodium plan.
  • Kidney diseaseHigh in protein and potassium from potatoes; ask your clinician whether this portion suits your plan.
  • GoutChicken and egg yolk are moderate in purines; the cream sauce adds fat — ask your clinician.
  • Stomach issuesA gentle, creamy stew; rich sauces can feel heavy on a sensitive stomach, so keep the portion modest.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseHigh in saturated fat from cream and butter; keep portions modest and pair with salad.
  • Fatty liverA rich, fatty stew; a smaller portion with salad is the lighter way to enjoy it.
  • Food allergiesContains egg, milk (cream, butter); check the stock label for celery and gluten if you have an allergy.
  • Special therapeutic dietsFollow your clinician's guidance on fat, sodium and protein; this is general information, not medical advice.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool quickly, then store the stew in an airtight container in the fridge.
In the fridge
2 days in the fridge.
In the freezer
Do not freeze — the cream and egg-yolk sauce splits on thawing.
How to reheat
Reheat very gently over low heat, about 70°C (158°F), stirring, until hot through, about 74°C (165°F); never boil.
Freezing recommended
No — the sauce splits when frozen and reheated.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour smell, separated or grainy sauce, or slime on the chicken.

More recipes to explore

Moules-frites — a black pot of steamed mussels with herbs, served with golden fries at a Brussels brasserie Belgium flag Belgium 1h
Dinner •Brussels Brasserie Classic

Moules-Frites

This moules frites recipe makes the plate Belgium is proudest of: a black pot of mussels steamed open in white wine, shallots and cream, served with a heap of crisp, twice-cooked fries and a pot of mayonnaise. The mussels are sweet and briny, the broth is made for dipping, and the fries stay crisp if you keep them out of the pot. One serving is about 350 g.

Seaside Comfort

Sweet mussels steamed in white wine and cream, piled next to golden twice-cooked fries.

Pairs Well With
Crisp Belgian lager & mayonnaise
High Protein
Belgian waffles — a golden Brussels waffle topped with whipped cream and icing sugar on a white plate Belgium flag Belgium 1h 35m
Breakfast •Brussels Bakery Classic

Belgian Waffles

This Belgian waffles recipe makes the light, yeasted kind: a risen batter cooked in a hot iron until the outside is crisp and golden and the inside stays soft and airy. The deep pockets hold butter, syrup or berries, and a dusting of icing sugar is all they really need. This recipe makes 8 waffles; one serving is 2 waffles, about 210 g. Nutrition is for the plain waffles, before toppings.

Weekend Breakfast Treat

Light, yeasted Brussels waffles with deep pockets, crisp outside and soft inside.

Pairs Well With
Strong coffee & fresh berries
Carbonade flamande — dark beer-braised beef stew with fries and a small salad on a white plate Belgium flag Belgium 2h 55m
Dinner •Flemish Farmhouse Classic

Carbonade Flamande

This carbonade flamande recipe is Flanders' answer to the French beef stew: chunks of beef braised for hours in dark Belgian ale with sweet caramelised onions, thyme and bay, thickened the old way with slices of bread spread with mustard. The sauce turns dark, glossy and sweet-sour, and the beef goes spoon-tender. One serving is about 250 g, not counting the fries or potatoes served alongside.

Slow Sunday Comfort

Beef braised low and slow in dark Belgian ale with onions and mustard bread.

Pairs Well With
Dark Belgian ale & fries
High Protein
A paper cone of golden Belgian fries topped with andalouse sauce and two small plastic forks. Belgium flag Belgium 55m
Snack & Tea •Brussels Friterie Classic

Belgian Fries

Belgian fries are the real thing: thick batons of floury potato, fried twice — once gently to cook them through, once hot to shatter the outside — and served in a paper cone with andalouse sauce. One serving is about 253 g.

Crisp & Golden

Thick-cut potatoes fried twice in vegetable oil — crisp outside, fluffy inside, with andalouse sauce.

Pairs Well With
Serve hot in a paper cone with andalouse sauce and a cold lager.
Quick Prep (<30m)

The Dinner Gazette

Never wonder what’s for dinner again

One email a week with easy dinner ideas from around the world — ingredients, steps and nutrition, tested in our kitchen first.

Delivered every Thursday morning. Unsubscribe anytime.