Waterzooi of Chicken
Based on: http://www.slowfood.com/food/soups/zooi.html
from the restaurant Tete-a-tete, Ghent, Belgium; April-June 1998
Serves: 8
Date: 2009-01-11

First time I made this it was excellent, with a phantom mushroom
taste; I used 12 oz Brooklyn Lager and 12 oz Spaten Optimator. I like
making this with 5.5 - 6# old hens for more flavor, they've got
turkey-ish dark meat.

750	ml	Beer, preferably hearty Belgian (e.g., Duvel)
4-6	C	Chicken Stock
4-6	pound	Chicken (old preferred), legs separated, skin on
1	tsp	Salt
1/2	tsp	Pepper
1	sprig	Thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
1		Bay Leaf
1		Clove

3		Carrots, julienned so they cook at same time as veggies
3		Parsley Root, chopped (optionals)
4		Celery stalks, chopped
2		Leeks, white parts only, sliced thin
2		White Onions, large, chopped

splash		Heavy Cream
splash		Lemon Juice
pinch		Nutmeg
pinch		Cayenne pepper
5		Egg Yolks, beaten
1-	C	Thick Cream (the rest of the cup minus the splash above)
1	Tbs	Flour (if needed to thicken)
bunch		Parsley

Bring Beer and Chicken Stock to boil in large pan; boil Chicken, Salt,
Pepper, Thyme, Bay Leaf and a Clove for 30 minutes for young chickens
to 60 minutes for old bird white meat and 90 minutes dark meat.  Cover
for extended boiling to prevent the liquid from evaporating too much.

When done, debone the Chicken, chop the bones, and put the bones and
skins back in the pan to simmer covered in the broth for one more
hour to obtain a delicious bouillon. Sieve it through a chinois, then
skim fat off; reserve fat.

In empty pan, saute the Vegetables (starting with the least tender) in
Chicken Fat until Onions just begin to turn translucent; don't
overcook or they'll lose texture in the final cooking. Add the
bouillon and simmer for 10 minutes.  Sieve it again [why], reserving
the vegetables.  [why cook Vegetables in Stock, for so little time?]

Add a splash of Heavy Cream, stir in, then a few drops of Lemon Juice.
Season to taste with Salt, Pepper, Nutmeg, and Cayenne and reheat on
low flame.  Make sure the mixture is below simmering to prevent
curdling and add remaining Heavy Cream [can I reduce to thicken here?]
and Egg Yolks to bind the sauce.  Heat slowly, barely to a simmer.
Cut Chicken meat into bite-sized pieces and add to bouillon with the
cooked Vegetables.  The texture should be between a soup and a stew.

If needed thicken by removing a cup of the boullion to a separate pan
and stirring in flour until thick, then add back to main pan mixing
well. Do not boil. Serve with boiled potatoes, garnish with chopped parsley.