Samgyetang

Method

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1. Rinse the chickens inside and out and trim away any excess fat around the cavity.

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2. Drain the soaked rice and mix it with 4 of the garlic cloves and 2 jujubes.

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3. Stuff each cavity about two-thirds full with the rice mixture — it swells considerably and will burst a packed bird.

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4. Cross the legs and tie them, or tuck one leg through a small slit cut in the skin of the other, to close the cavity.

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5. Sit the chickens upright in a deep pot that holds them snugly.

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6. Add the water, ginseng, remaining garlic and jujubes, astragalus and chestnuts.

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7. Bring to the boil, skim thoroughly, then reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook 60 to 75 minutes.

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8. The chicken is ready when a leg pulls away easily and the broth has turned opaque and milky.

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9. Serve each bird in a deep bowl with plenty of broth, scattered with spring onions, and let each person season their own with salt and pepper.

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Chef’s Tips

• Do not overstuff. The rice roughly doubles and will split the bird open.
• Never salt the broth in the pot. Seasoning at the table is the Korean way and lets everyone judge for themselves.
• Skim well at the start for a clean-tasting broth, then leave it alone.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Kimchi and salted spring onion salad
• Insam-ju (ginseng liquor), traditionally
• Nothing else — it is a complete meal

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the broth. Not suitable for freezing once stuffed.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.