Belgian Waterzootjie Recipe:
1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan
2. Add the carrots and the leeks, stir well and cover the pan
3. Fry gently for about 10minutes while occasionally shaking the pan
4. Remove the giblets from the chicken and wash it thoroughly both inside and out
5. Pierce the lemon all over with a skewer and pierce it inside the body cavity of the chicken together with the cloves of garlic
6. Put the chicken in the pan on top of the vegetables
7. Pour in the wine and enough water just to cover the chicken
8. Add the giblets (except the liver), onion and herbs, and salt and pepper to taste
9. Bring the contents to the boil and lower the heat
10. Half cover with a lid and simmer for 1 and 1/ 2hours or until the chicken is tender enough to come away easily from the bones
11. Add the prunes for the last 30minutes of the cooking time
12. Remove the chicken from the pan and discard the following ingredients: lemon, cloves of garlic, giblets, herbs and the cloves from the onion
13. Stir the liquid and vegetables to break up the onion
14. Remove the chicken flesh from the bones and cut it into bite-sized pieces, discarding all the skin
15. Return the chicken to the pan and heat through
16. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary
17. Pour into individual bowls and sprinkle with parsley
List of ingredients required:
3 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 to 2 and 1/2 (900g to 1.1kg) chicken with giblets
2 large sprigs of parsley
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
2 bay leaves
2 oz (50g) butter
1 lemon
1 small onion, peeled and stuck with a few cloves
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig sage
1/2 pint (285ml) dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground pepper
16 to 20 prunes, soaked and pitted
Chopped fresh parsley (garnish)
