Chicken Waterzooi
A creamy, vegetable-rich Belgian stew with tender chicken thighs, root vegetables, and a silky cream sauce finished with egg yolk and lemon. Comfort food at its finest, ready in under an hour.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 42g
Ingredients
- 8 pieces chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in
- 3 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 medium parsnip, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 ribs celery rib, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 medium leek, white and light green parts, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 large egg yolk
- 1 whole lemon, juice only
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 whole bay leaf
Instructions
- 1
Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
- 2
Season chicken generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- 3
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat.
- 4
Working in batches, brown chicken thighs skin-side down until golden, 4 minutes.
- 5
Flip chicken and brown other side until golden, 3 minutes.
- 6
Transfer browned chicken to a plate.
- 7
Add carrot, parsnip, celery, and leek to the pot.
- 8
Cook vegetables, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, 5 minutes.
- 9
Pour in chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
- 10
Return chicken to pot with thyme and bay leaf.
- 11
Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain gentle simmer.
- 12
Cover partially and simmer until chicken is tender, 25 minutes.
- 13
Whisk egg yolks and cream together in a small bowl.
- 14
Slowly ladle 0.5 cup hot broth into egg mixture while whisking constantly.
- 15
Pour egg mixture back into pot while stirring gently.
- 16
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 3 minutes.
- 17
Stir in lemon juice and taste for seasoning.
- 18
Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- 19
Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf before serving.
Tools you’ll need
- large heavy-bottomed pot (5-quart minimum)
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- paper towels
- small mixing bowl
- whisk
- wooden spoon
- ladle
- tongs
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