Korean Stuffed Chicken with Fresh Ginseng Soup (SamGyeTang)

This soup reminds me of the wonderful visit I made to South Korea a few years ago. Our friends took us to a different restaurant each day. One of my favorites was this quaint restaurant, where we all sat down on the wooden floor around a low table. We were served with a variety of colorful dishes, piping hot ginseng soup and Makgeolli, a milky colored rice wine. I love the sweet taste of this wine, and I am quite smitten by it's unique taste and flavor. It reminds me of Chinese rice wine, that my mother used to make in Malaysia.Ginseng is a popular health food in Korea, and the Koreans eat ginseng and other herbs to recuperate strength and for youthful complexion. Ginseng has been used as medicine for thousand of years both in China and Korea, and Korea is one of the largest producer of ginseng.I bought some fresh ginseng roots in a Korean supermarket to make this nutritious soup. This soup calls for young chicken, preferably 100-day old hens. You can also use black silky chicken, or raise your own pullets. I used Cornish game hens for this recipe. Enjoy!

Fragrant Claypot Chicken Rice

This is a simple rice dish to make if you want something quick and nutritious--all it takes is a rice cooker! This dish reminds me of the famous Kampar claypot chicken rice in Kuala Lumpur. It is cooked in small earthen claypots. The other specialty to this dish is the crispy fried salted fish served on top of the rice.

Ingredients:
1 measuring cup of rice, washed and drained
5 chicken thigh meat, cut into pieces
10 dried Shitake mushrooms, presoaked
¾ cup chicken stock, or water
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
3 small shallots, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
some fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. Chinese wine
1 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. oil
Marinade:
2 Tbsp. soy paste
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce
½ tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. cornstarch
Method:
1. Marinade chicken with wine and pepper in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the marinade ingredients and set aside.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and fry the ginger, shallots and garlic until fragrant and lightly brown. Lower heat to medium and add in drained rice and fry until the rice is fragrant and has absorbed most of the oil. Pour rice mixture into the rice cooker.
3. Replace pan to stove and add remaining oil and fry the mushroom for about 5-8 minutes, add in the chicken and stir to mix with the mushrooms and fry over medium heat for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the marinade sauce and mix well to coat chicken pieces completely.
4. Arrange chicken mixture on top of rice and pour in the chicken stock or water. Turn on the rice cooker to cook the rice and chicken, about 10-15 minutes. Serve warm with fresh cilantro and chilli sauce.

Printable Recipe

Chinese Hot Pot---Thanksgiving 2009

Last Thanksgiving I made a Chinese Hot Pot dinner (Chinese fondue or steamboat), perfect for the chilly weather. It is basically a one pot meal with a simmering pot of broth in the center of the dining table. Typically, it includes different varieties of thinly sliced meat, seafood, leafy green vegetables, and noodles on the side. Each individual is given a small wire mesh ladle to cook the food in the broth. The cooked food is served with a dipping sauce (soya or chilli sauce). Nowadays, most Asian supermarkets have pre-packaged meat for your convenience. Personally, I prefer to do all the cutting and slicing myself---the meat is fresher and it's much more economical.

Ingredients:
1 medium-sized organic chicken
1 lb pork bones
½ lb beef, sliced thinly
½ lb prawns, shelled and deveined
½ lb scallops
1 small cuttlefish, scored and sliced thinly
1 cup mushrooms (shitake or cremini)
Spinach, baby bok choy, cilantro, lettuce
Noodles (dried or fresh)
½ cup freshly minced ginger
2 Tbsp. chopped spring onions
1-2 slices of ginger
Portable rangetop cooker (purchased at most Chinese grocery)
Method:
1. Debone and separate meat from chicken. Slice meat thinly. For stock, bring a pot of water to boil and add chicken carcass, meat bones, and ginger. Turn heat to simmer while preparing other ingredients.
2. Prepare the following: clean and slice rest of the meats thinly; trim, wash and drain mushroom and vegetables. If using dried noodles, follow cooking instructions on package.
3. Dipping Sauce: Put ginger and spring onions in a bowl. Heat oil in a small saucepan to a boil, turn off heat and pour oil over ginger mixture. Before of the hot oil as it will splatter. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir to mix and set aside for serving.
4. Set a portable cooking stove on the table with a pot deep enough for cooking. Strained stock and pour into pot and heat to a rolling boil. Add your choice of meat or vegetables to cook and serve with dipping sauce.