The very pleasant city of Ghent, at the confluence of the Schedlt and Lys rivers, is the historic capital of Flanders in northern Belgium. It is also the home of the most famous of Flemish stews, Gentse waterzooi or waterzooi gantois among the Francophones, a rich chicken stew made with vegetables and eggs and cooked in beer or a rich chicken stock. Waterzooi can be made with chicken, rabbit, or fish. The parsley root is an important part of waterzooi, so do make an effort to get it. Waterzooi is very nice served with boiled potatoes or toasted French bread with some butter.
Make and share this Deer Stew With Mustard and Cashew Nuts recipe from Food.com.
Upon arriving in Belgium you might think “AHH safety, finally I’m in an allied nation”..WRONG!!! Belgium is CRAWLING with red spies. You’re walking down the street thinking…Hmm, maybe I’ll grab some mussels and a beer then take in a nice marionette show. Then while you’re in the theater BAM…Abe Lincoln style. Anyway…In the Autumn in Belgium after the apple harvest there are always a bunch of apples not fit for eating out of hand…but when you’re holed up in a safehouse, you have to stretch everything to make ends meet. Maybe you didn’t finish you beer last night, but you can’t imagine drinking it…well here’s a use for it. I like this with very oniony pork chops. the savory from the caramelized on ions, the saltiness of the pork and the sweetness of the applesauce is absolutely perfect.
This is a delicious wintery soup, based on my recipe for Hutsepot, a traditional Belgian dish. Very nice with some homemade bread!
From Ruth Van Waerebeek’s “Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook.” Ruth says this soup has a special status in Belgium where it’s commonly served at wedding receptions, anniversaries and other festive occasions. It’s a little different from the tomato soup I grew up with: creamy, yes, but with bits of fresh tomato and the flavors of Madeira or Cognac providing a kind of grown-up undertone. This is Ruth’s mother’s version; it can be made a day ahead.
