Nourishing Abalone Samgyetang: A Hearty Chicken Soup
Make Nourishing Abalone Samgyetang: From Chicken Prep to Cooking Abalone and Rice Porridge
Today, we’re making Samgyetang, but with a special twist – abalone! Adding abalone makes the broth even more refreshing and delicious. This recipe is perfect for a nourishing meal.
Ingredients- 2 Korean native chickens
- 1 pack of Samgyetang broth ingredients
- Soaked glutinous rice, as needed
- Garlic, as needed
- 5 abalones
- 2 Asian ginseng roots
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
We’ve prepared two Korean native chickens, known for their firm texture and rich flavor, perfect for Samgyetang.
Step 2
Inside the chickens, you’ll find a pack of Samgyetang broth ingredients. If you don’t have this pack, you can prepare your own with herbs like astragalus, reishi mushroom, jujube, and garlic.
Step 3
I’ve also prepared two roots of Asian ginseng, which I keep frozen for whenever I need a health boost. They add a wonderful aroma and medicinal benefits.
Step 4
Next, let’s get the abalones ready. Fresh abalone will make the broth wonderfully clean and flavorful. We’ll clean them thoroughly before adding them to the soup.
Step 5
Generous amounts of whole garlic cloves are essential for Samgyetang. They add depth and help neutralize any gaminess from the chicken.
Step 6
Please soak the glutinous rice in water beforehand. This will ensure the rice becomes soft and creamy when cooked for the porridge.
Step 7
Let’s start by prepping the chicken. First, rinse the chickens thoroughly. Then, blanch them in boiling water for about 30 seconds. This helps to remove impurities and firm up the meat.
Step 8
After blanching, trim away any excess skin around the neck, wings, and the fatty part near the tail. Removing this excess fat will result in a clearer, more refined broth.
Step 9
Our chicken is now properly prepped and ready for cooking. A clean chicken is key to a delicious, impurity-free Samgyetang.
Step 10
Place the whole garlic cloves into a mesh bag or cheesecloth. This makes them easy to remove later and allows their flavor to infuse the broth subtly.
Step 11
In a large pot, combine the garlic in the mesh bag, the Samgyetang broth ingredient pack, the prepped chicken, and enough water to cover everything generously. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and let it simmer.
Step 12
While the chicken is simmering, let’s prepare the remaining ingredients. Having everything prepped makes the cooking process much smoother.
Step 13
Now, place the soaked glutinous rice into another mesh bag. Cooking the rice in a bag prevents it from clumping or making the broth cloudy, keeping the soup beautifully clear.
Step 14
This bag of rice is ready to be added to the pot, contributing to a hearty and delicious chicken porridge.
Step 15
Add the bag of glutinous rice to the simmering chicken pot. The rice will soften and thicken the broth, forming the base for our delicious porridge.
Step 16
It’s time to clean the abalone. Scrub the abalones thoroughly under running water. Using a stiff brush or even a toothbrush dedicated for cleaning seafood will help remove any grit or algae.
Step 17
Look along the edge of the abalone; you’ll see a dark rim. Scrub this area firmly with your brush. This helps loosen and remove the shell cleanly.
Step 18
Abalones have a tough, beak-like ‘tooth’ at their base. This needs to be removed for a pleasant eating experience.
Step 19
Locate the bottom part of the abalone where the ‘teeth’ are clustered. Use kitchen scissors to carefully cut and remove this section. This ensures you only eat the tender meat.
Step 20
All our prep is complete! The chicken and rice are already simmering. I prefer my chicken very tender, so I’ll be simmering for a total of 1 hour and 20 minutes. Smaller chickens might only need 50 minutes, but these native chickens are quite large.
Step 21
After about 1 hour of simmering, add the Asian ginseng roots and the cleaned abalones to the pot. Let it cook for another 20 minutes. This allows the ginseng flavor to infuse and the abalone to cook perfectly without becoming tough.
Step 22
And there we have it – a beautiful Abalone Samgyetang! Let’s take out the porridge first. Using a mesh bag for the rice makes the broth so clear. If you have leftover chicken and broth, I highly recommend making some chicken noodle soup (Dak Kalguksu) – it’s delicious!
Step 23
If you used a small mesh bag for the rice, you’ll get about a single serving of porridge. The porridge might be quite thick when you ladle it out. You can adjust the consistency by adding a little more broth until it reaches your desired creaminess.
Step 24
The abalone really enhances the broth, giving it a wonderfully clean and deep flavor. If you find traditional boiled chicken (Baeksuk) a bit bland, try adding abalone! It eliminates any chickeny odor and adds a delightful seafood essence that makes it incredibly palatable.
