Ingredients
1/2 cup glutinous rice, well rinsed
2 pieces fresh ginger, each 2 inches long
1 scallion, sliced thin
6 jujubes, korean dates
2 garlic clove, halve lengthws
1 small chicken or cornish game hen (about, 1 pound)
2 cup water
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 tsp korean sesame oil
1/8 tsp pepper
Directions
"This Samgyetang is a celebrated soup from the island of Cheju, and
deservedly so since the prestigious, almost mystical, ginseng root is
cooked and eaten like a vegetable with the chicken. The Samgyetang is
cooked in a tukbaege and brought still bubbling to the table. It is
considered to be a summer dish in restaurants and homes. Koreans will
break up the chicken and rice in the pot so that it becomes a gruel.
I prefer that each person helps himself out of the pot, taking
something of all the ingredients and spooning the rich, thick broth
over all. It seems to me more aesthetic without altering the taste.
The jujubes prove a touch of contrasting sweetness to the chicken,
rice and ginseng. Ginseng, or "insam" as it is also called in Korea,
tastes to me like a slightly bitter parsnip. Its properties are
alleged to be strengthening and bring about rejuvenation."
1. Mix the rice, ginseng root, scallion, 3 of the jujubes and 1 garlic
clove together and stuff the chicken. Sew up the opening.
2. Put the chicken in the "tukbaege" or in a heavy pot with a cover
that is just a bit larger than the chicken. Add the 2 cups water, the
other 3 jujubes, the other garlic clove, the sesame seeds and sesame
oil and the pepper. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and reduce heat to
low. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
The soup will develop a thick, cloudy consistency and the chicken will
soften enough to melt away from the bones.
Serve hot in the "tukbaege" if you have one, or transfer the chicken
and broth to a large serving bowl.
Serves 2 with a variety of side dishes.
Source: "The Korean Kitchen" by Copeland Marks
Servings: 2 servings
Samgyetang (Baby Chicken & Ginseng Soup) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Chicken; Chicken Soup; Korean; Poultry; Soup
The History of Recipes
Transcribed cooking instructions as an idea can be found back into ancient history, certainly as far into history as the Egyptians, and quite possibly further than that. Interesting though that is, in the main part, these old cook books were just simple hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for preparing food.
In an interesting twist, the oldest recipe in existence, according to experts in ancient history are a few tablets in Sumerian describing the baking of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who tried it feel blissful and exhilarated. Much later, in Roman times a man called Apicius created some scripts describing recipes cooked by the Romans. In his works, he describes how the meals were separated into starters, main meal and afters, a very modern way of dining. Aspicius also describes how the early Romans were skilled in the use of many spices, including many that are still in use today such as basil, fennel and asafoetida. Continuing our culinary historical journey, we have a couple of interesting recipe books from the fourteenth century ; a book published under the title `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary titled `Curye on Inglish`. The titles are somewhat misleading tho`, they are unconnected to the spicy food that we all know today, but instead descriptions of the types of meals eaten by the upper classes of that time. Later on, in the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many foods, spices and herbs from Arab cooking, including spices like rosemary and coriander. These new foods and tastes led to an eruption in cookery books, most of which are kept safe in private collections. When we get to the twentieth century, cooking books are in high demand, due to more people being able to read, people having increased free time and a general increase in wealth. |
We hope you enjoy this Samgyetang (Baby Chicken & Ginseng Soup) recipe.
