Fish Waterzoï is a classic of Belgian cuisine, originating from Ghent and the Flanders region. It is a delicate, deeply comforting stew in which fresh fish is poached in a fragrant vegetable-based broth, enriched with cream. This dish is sure to warm you up!
First, here is the list of the different ingredients you will need to prepare this Fish Waterzoï, which serves 4 to 6 people
- 400 g of monkfish or salmon fillets
- 400 g of turbot or cod fillets
- 1 sole (approx. 500 g), filleted, or haddock
- 1/2 liter of mussels
- 50 g of peeled shrimp
- 4 carrots
- 4 stalks of celery
- 2 leeks
- 1 small onion
- 1 bunch of chervil
- 100 ml of dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon of crème fraîche and 40 g of butter
- 400 ml of fish stock (ready-to-use)
Now here are the different steps you will need to follow to make this Fish Waterzoï with a 20 minutes preparation time and 35 minutes cooking time.
Begin by washing and scrubbing the mussels. Place them in a pot over high heat with 20 g of butter, the chopped onion, and the white wine. Once they have opened, remove the mussels from their shells and keep them warm. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve (chinois).
Dice the carrots and celery, then cook them, covered, in a sauté pan with 20 g of butter for 10 minutes. Add the white parts of the leeks, sliced into thin rounds; cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Cut the monkfish and turbot into four portions each, and place these pieces in a sauté pan along with the sole fillets. Add the fish stock (available ready-to-use) and the liquid from the mussels.
Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 5 minutes, adding the mussels and shrimp.
Arrange the fish, mussels, shrimp, and vegetables into 4 deep plates or one large, preheated deep serving dish. Pour the broth—enriched with some cream—over the top. Sprinkle with chervil and serve immediately.
