Soups & Stews

Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)

Name: Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 2 servings (1 chicken)
Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients: whole chicken 1 (about 800 g); soaked rice about 65 ml; Korean leek (daepa) or scallions 1/2 stalk; whole garlic cloves 8; fresh ginger 1 knob; salt to taste; ground black pepper to taste; water 1,600 ml

Stuff a cleaned chicken with soaked rice and garlic, add water to cover, and simmer over medium heat for an hour. Cook it until the meat falls easily off the bone, and season lightly with salt at the end.

Prep 35 min · Cook 1 hr 10 min · Total 1 hr 45 min · 2 servings (1 chicken) · Medium

한국어로 보기 (Korean version)

Steps

1
Remove any innards and excess fat from the chicken, soak it in cold water for 15 minutes to draw out the blood, and pat it dry.
2
Stuff the soaked rice and 4 garlic cloves into the cavity, and cross the legs to hold it closed.
Soak the rice for at least 30 minutes beforehand.
3
Put the chicken in a pot with enough water to cover it, plus the remaining garlic and the ginger, and simmer over medium heat for 60 minutes.
Skim off the foam.
4
Add the leek, simmer 5 minutes more, and season with salt and pepper.

Substitutions

Instead of	Use	How
whole chicken	600 g chicken thighs	Boneless meat needs only 40 minutes of simmering.
soaked rice	about 65 ml glutinous (sweet) rice	Soak glutinous rice for 30 minutes too; it makes the broth thicker.

Storing leftovers

As it cools, chicken fat sets on top of the broth and the rice inside soaks up the broth and turns porridge-like. Skim off the fat, store airtight in the fridge, and eat within 2 days; add a little water and reheat until the broth and chicken come to a rolling boil. To keep it longer, pull the meat off the bones and freeze it with the broth in single portions, and use within 2 weeks.

Serve with

Kimchi or kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi). The broth is mild, so a tangy kimchi goes well.

Making more or less

You can add ginseng and jujubes, but they aren't required. Start with only enough water to cover the chicken.

Before you cook

Cook the chicken completely, until the meat at the joints is white with no pink juices.

Questions

How long do I simmer samgyetang?

60 to 70 minutes over medium heat. It's done when the leg pulls easily out of the joint; if the chicken is large or the broth was only gently simmering, keep cooking in 10-minute increments.