Waterzooi

aka Leeky Potato and Chicken Soup

 I love soup! I would make it every day if my hubby would let me. It's such a great way to eat veggies and make them taste great. I got some leeks from Bountiful Baskets a couple of weeks ago and they have just been hanging out in my fridge, begging to be used since. I debated make this Potatoes and Leek Soup because I had the potatoes, sweet potatoes, and leeks to make it. However, I love trying new things so I decided to play a spin off of this recipe for Waterzooi. I changed it up a bit to suit my families taste. It's a winner for sure! Makes me want to grow leeks in my garden just so I can make it all the time. I looked up what Waterzooi meant, and loosely translated I think it means "boiled water". But trust me, this soup is more than just boiled water. In fact the exact text from my hubby when he ate it was "This soup is awesome babe, I approve!" which is really high praise coming from my not-so-in-love-with-soup hubby.

Waterzooi
 
2 tablespoons butter
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 leeks, chopped, rinsed and dried (white and light green parts only)
2 all-purpose potatoes, peeled or unpeeled and diced
Salt and white pepper (or black, I used both)
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 sprigs rosemary, chopped fine
2 sprigs oregano, chopped fine
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg yolk

1/4 cup chopped parsley
Crusty baguette, warmed, for passing

In a deep pot over moderate heat melt butter and saute the vegetables for 5 minutes. Season with salt and white pepper. Add oregano and rosemary to the pot with stock or broth. Cover the pot and raise heat to bring liquid to a boil. Add chicken to the pot, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Poach the chicken 10 minutes. Uncover the pot. Remove chicken and dice. Whisk cream and egg together. Add a ladle of cooking broth to cream and egg to temper it. Stir cream and egg mixture into the waterzooi and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Add chicken back to the pot along with chopped parsley. Add more salt or pepper to taste. Ladle waterzooi into warm shallow bowls and serve with crusty baguette for dipping.