
Chobok is part of Boknal which signifies the beginning, middle and end of this period during which Koreans eat food that’ll give them strength. One such dish is Samgyetang, the ginseng and the healthy feel of this dish is meant to give you energy.
This dish cooks a whole Cornish hen (or Poussin) with water, jujubes, ginger, garlic and ginseng. Unfortunately ginseng isn’t something you can easily get hold of here so I had to leave it out.
The chicken is stuffed with glutinous rice which helps thicken up the broth.
It’s incredibly easy and the ultimate cure for colds. The recipe uses very few ingredients.
Recipe for 2 people:
2 Cornish hen
6 cloves of garlic
3 thick slices of a ginger root
4 dried jujube
1/2 cup of glutinous rice
1/2 spring onion (white part)
To serve:
Finely sliced spring onions
Salt and pepper mixed for dipping and seasoning.
Wash rice 3 times, then soak in cold water for an hour.
Drain, stuff each hen half way with rice.
If you have leftover rice, throw it into a large pot alongside the hens.
Add the rest of the soup ingredients and add water, enough to almost cover the hens.
Bring to a boil. Skin off any scum that forms on the surface. Boil for 10 mins, then reduce the heat, put a lid on the pot and let it simmer for 40-50 mins.
Alternatively, you can add all the above into a pressure cooker instead for about 30-40min.

In the meantime, prepare the salt and pepper mix and slice the other half of the spring onion. Serve these as condiment at the table.
Ladle broth over the chicken multiple times to keep everything juicy.
Put each hen in a large bowl, ladle soup into the bowl and serve.
You can take out the jujube, ginger and garlic at this stage.
Tear pieces of meat with your chopsticks s d enjoy the broth as is or with cooked rice.
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