Korea
Samgyetang
삼계탕
Samgyetang is a whole small chicken stuffed with sweet rice and simmered with ginseng, garlic and jujubes, with one bird to a bowl. Koreans traditionally eat it on the hottest days of summer, called sambok. The broth stays pale and unsalted in the pot, and each person seasons it at the table. The stuffing is the delicate part: fill the bird loosely, or the swelling rice will burst out as it cooks.
- Prep
- 1 hr 15 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 10 min
- Total
- 2 hr 25 min
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
2 Cornish game hens, about 1 1/4 lb (570 g) each, giblets removed
1/2 cup (100 g) glutinous rice, also sold as sweet rice
2 small fresh ginseng roots, or 2 small dried roots, scrubbed
6 dried jujubes (red dates)
12 garlic cloves, peeled
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and ground black pepper in small dishes, for the table
Napa cabbage kimchi, to serve
Instructions
- Cover the rice with cold water and soak for 1 hour. Drain well.
- Pat the hens dry, trimming any excess fat and the tail end if you like. Spoon the rice into the cavity of each hen with 2 garlic cloves and 2 jujubes, filling it only about two-thirds full, because the rice swells.
- Close the opening by cutting a small slit in the loose skin and tucking the opposite leg through it, then cross the other leg over. Kitchen twine works just as well.
- Put the hens in a pot that fits them snugly with the ginseng and the remaining garlic and jujubes. Pour in about 8 cups (2 L) of water, enough to just cover them, and bring to a boil over high heat, about 10 minutes. Skim off the foam.
- Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 60 minutes, spooning broth over the top now and then. The meat should pull from the bones easily. Check the thickest part of the thigh and the center of the stuffing with a thermometer. Both must reach 165°F (74°C).
- Lift each hen into a deep bowl and ladle the broth over it with the garlic, jujubes and a piece of ginseng.
- Top with the scallions. Serve with the salt, pepper and kimchi, seasoning each spoonful with a dip of salt and pepper as you eat.
Tips
- Ginseng and jujubes are sold fresh or dried at Korean grocery stores, often together in a samgyetang soup pack. A pack with dried roots replaces the fresh ones here, so follow its directions for quantity.
- Ginseng is what sets this soup apart, but you can make it without. Those who are pregnant or on medication should check with a doctor first, or leave it out and add a 1-inch (2.5 cm) piece of ginger for warmth.
- For one regular chicken of about 3 1/2 lb (1.6 kg) that serves 4, double the rice and garlic, add water to cover and simmer for 90 minutes, until both meat and stuffing reach 165°F (74°C).
Did you know?
- Samgyetang is a whole small chicken in ginseng soup, stuffed with rice.
- Koreans eat this hot soup on the hottest days of summer.
- It's believed to help you get your energy back.
Questions
Why do Koreans eat hot samgyetang in summer?
It's the customary dish for sambok, the three days traditionally counted as the hottest of summer. The idea is that a hot, nourishing soup restores energy lost to the heat.
What does samgyetang taste like?
Mild and clean, with soft chicken, creamy rice and a slightly bitter, earthy note from the ginseng. It's lightly sweet from the jujubes. The salt at the table brings the flavor forward.
Can I make samgyetang in a pressure cooker?
Yes. Cook on high pressure for about 25 minutes with a natural release. Check that the thigh and rice stuffing both reach 165°F (74°C) before serving.
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