Korean Chicken Soup with Ginger

Ingredients:

Soup

• 1 cup boiled white rice, cooled
• 1 tbsp dark sesame oil
• 4 cloves of garlic (2 chopped, 2 crushed and peeled)
• 2 gherkin chickens, weighing 700g each, giblets and wing tips removed
• 4 cups lightly salted chicken broth
• 4 shallots, peeled and halved
• 7 cm peeled ginger, cut into 3 pieces and beat with the blunt side of a knife
• 6 green onions, white and light green parts set aside without chopping, dark green tops thinly sliced ​​and set aside for serving
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

For serving

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. white vinegar
• 4 tsp sesame seeds (white or black)
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 package seaweed chips, thinly sliced
• 1 cup kimchi, chopped

Preparation:

1. Place the cooked rice in a medium bowl. Heat the sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until toasted and golden brown, 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour the sesame oil and garlic over the rice. Set the saucepan aside. Sprinkle the rice with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and toss with a fork to distribute evenly and break up any clumps.
2. Fill the cavity of each chicken with 0.5 cups of the rice mixture. Fold the edges of the skin over the filling, fold the legs over the chicken, and tie with kitchen twine.
3. Place the chicken breast-side down in the reserved pan and add the chicken broth, 2 cups of water, shallots, ginger, white and light parts of the green onion, crushed garlic cloves, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises from the surface. Partially cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
4. Simmer for 15 minutes, then use a spatula or spoon to carefully turn the chicken breast-side up, being careful not to break the skin (the chicken will float). Continue simmering, covered, until the chicken breasts are firm and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F (74°C), another 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the sauces. Combine the soy sauce and vinegar in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the sesame oil, sesame seeds, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in another small bowl and set aside.
6. Using a slotted spoon and tongs, remove the chicken from the liquid, place them on a cutting board, and cut the kitchen twine. Slice each chicken in half lengthwise, leaving the rice inside the cavity. Strain the broth through a sieve. Place each chicken half in a wide, shallow bowl (rice-side down) and ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle the soup with green onions and serve with sesame sauce, soy vinegar sauce, kimchi, and seaweed.