The weather in New York is finally starting to warm up and what better way to celebrate the warmer weather than to make Samgyetang. In Korea, it’s believed that the nutrients from the whole chicken, ginseng, garlic, chestnuts and jujubes will protect you from illness and give you strength during the hot summer months. It might be counterintuitive to some, but as someone who loves sweating over a steamy bowl of ramen in the middle of summer, I get the appeal.
In Korea it’s made with young chickens, but I’ve found that cornish game hens work perfectly and makes a serving big enough for one very hungry person. Aside from the chicken, rice and ginseng, I’ve seen many variations of Samgyetang, including one very memorable one I had in the mountains of Gangwon-do that included pine mushrooms. In my version, I’ve opted for a fairly standard spread, including pine nuts, chestnuts, garlic, ginseng and jujubes all held together by sticky rice. By cooking the stuffing in the bird, it takes on all the flavors of the soup, but the ingredients also imparts their pungent, herbal, sweet, and nutty flavors back into the chicken.
You’re probably already familar with most of the ingredients in Samgyetang, but ginseng and jujubes may be new to you if you don’t cook Asian food much. Ginseng is a gnarly root that’s widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. In the US it can be found in herbal teas and has a potent bittersweet flavor. If you can find it fresh, that’s the way to go, but you should also be able to find them dried at Chinese herbal stores. Jujubes are sometimes called red dates because they look a bit like dates and have a caramel-like flavor very similar to dates. They’re nothing special on their own, but after cooking inside the chicken, the flesh becomes soft and provides a wonderful sweet surprise that counterbalances the savory chicken.
Most recipes call for using water when making Samgyetang, but I like using stock because it makes the soup more intense and gives the broth a rich creamy taste. I usually use the leftover bones from a roast chicken, or I go and buy chicken bones to make the stock, and I also like adding a 2″ x 5″ piece of dashi konbu (kelp) to the stock to give it a little extra umph.
Samgyetang is normally under-salted and served with a side of scallions and sea salt so the diner can season the soup to suit their tastes. As you pick the chicken off the bones, you can also dip the chicken directly in the salt. Since there’s rice already in the chicken, get out a bowl of kimchi and you’re set.
Ingredients
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1/2
cup
sticky rice (also known as "sweet rice" or "glutinous rice")
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2
Cornish game hens
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1
tablespoon
salt
-
2
tablespoons
pine nuts
-
3
small
fresh ginseng roots (dried works okay too)
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6
cloves
garlic (peeled)
-
10
jujubees
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4
whole chestnuts (peeled)
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4
cups
low-sodium chicken stock (preferably homemade)
-
1
scallion (thinly sliced)
-
sea salt (for serving)
Steps
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The morning you want to make the Samgyetang, wash the rice and soak it in a bowl full of cold water. Rub each hen with a tablespoon of kosher salt, both inside and out.
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When you're ready to start cooking, drain the rice and mix it with the pine nuts. Add a ginseng root, garlic clove, jujube, and chestnut into the cavity of each hen, then split the rice between the two hens. Add another garlic clove, jujube, and chestnut to each chicken, then cut a small slit into the flap of skin just above each drumstick and thread the end of each drumstick through both flaps as shown in the photo below. You could also use a toothpick to "stitch" the opening shut, you just want to keep the opening closed so the stuffing doesn't all fall out.
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Add the chicken stock and remaining ginseng root, garlic, and jujubees to a pot that's just big enough to hold both hens. Bring to a boil, then carefully add both hens. Return the soup to a boil then cover and turn the heat down to low and simmer for one hour.
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Serve the Samgyetang in a small pot or stone bowl along with the soup, then garnish with the scallions. Give each person a small plate of salt that can be added to the soup to taste, or be used to dip the chicken meat into.
Marc Matsumoto says
I love how creamy their soup is! It reminds me of tonkotsu ramen.
TinTin says
Thanks for sharing this recipe~ I can’t wait to try it out.
TinTin says
Thanks for sharing this recipe~ I can’t wait to try it out. <3
Maya says
This is my favorite Korean dish! Thanks for sharing:) Do you know how to make Kalbitang? Beef soup? If you know can you post as well?:)))
fancyNancy says
I love looking at the food you make, it inspires me to make something beautiful and delicious!
Marilia says
I love this dish! It reminds me of my dad.. he loves it. It’s Summer and Samgyetang is definitely in season… Yummm
mariecurtin says
You can easily enough make this without chicken stock by first bringing the ginseng root to a boil in a pot and simmering it for a few hours, you’ll have a strongly scented infusion, which will give a lot of dimension to the soup at the end. It also gets rid of the need to make chicken stock before. My mum does it this way and it’s amazing!
Ratna widya says
Im always interesting about korean food,,,,, thanks you for sharing,,,,
Ratna widya says
Im always interesting about korean food,,,,, thanks you for sharing,,
Mariagarcia says
I think this discussion took place a few years ago, but I’ve just discovered it and had to add my own story about Samgyetang. My family and I were living in Seoul in the early 1980’s (still under military dictatorship) where my husband worked at the Canadian embassy. I talk English (more cross cultural content than grammar) to a large variety of Koreans – among whom was a group of young engineers who were going off to Saudi Arabia to work. We had a lot of fun together, and at the end of the course, they took me to their favourite restauant for lunch. Needless to say, it was Samgyetang, and they had endless laughs watching me try to eat it with just metal chopsticks. Great memories!
Mariagarcia says
Correction on my just-posted text: I taught English, not I talk English
Marc Matsumoto says
Thanks for sharing your awesome story Maria. That’s one of my favorite things about food, the way it brings people together and the stories it creates!
Denise says
I just made his soup forthe first time. I used spring onions, garlic, sweet rice and Jujube berries and Cornish Game Hen. it was the most delicious chicken soup I have ever eaten. The broth and rice were very rich.and in my opinion using chicken stock in this recipe is maybe a bit too much. Water was perfect.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Denise, I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Denise says
Oops forgot that of course I also used Gingsen in my soup (0: