A Delicious Combination: Crispy Nurungji and Rich Samgyetang
How to Make Nurungji Samgyetang
It was such a hot day today, and I decided to make Nurungji Samgyetang! Why? Because I bought two number 9 chickens for just 2,000 won each and had them in the kimchi refrigerator, so I felt like I had to cook them. Construction started outside my house at 7 AM, so I had to keep the windows closed all day, listening to the constant hammering. Since I was home alone today, I couldn’t turn on the air conditioner. I turned the fan on high in the kitchen, started making nurungji (scorched rice), and boiling the samgyetang. Just as I was cooking, my child came home. Finally, I turned on the air conditioner and let the samgyetang boil vigorously. The combination of the chicken broth and the nurungji was absolutely delightful!
Ingredients- 2 x No. 9 chickens
- Nurungji (scorched rice), homemade
- 1 x Ginseng root
- 2 x Balloon flower roots (Jandae)
- 6 x Dried red dates
- 5 x Whole garlic cloves
- 1/2 x Onion
- 1 x Green onion
- Water (enough to cover the chicken)
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare the chicken. Trim off the fatty tail end (kkorangji), the tips of the wings, and any excess fat from the neck area. You can also make a slit in the middle of the chicken to ensure it’s cleaned thoroughly inside and out. Rinse the chicken under cold running water, both inside and out, to remove any impurities.
Step 2
Place the cleaned chicken in a large pot. Add the aromatics and medicinal ingredients: 6 dried red dates, 5 whole garlic cloves, and 1/2 onion cut into large pieces. Also add 1 ginseng root and 2 balloon flower roots. If the green onion has clean roots, you can include them as well (I used mostly the white parts as the roots were not clean). Pour in enough water to generously cover the chicken.
Step 3
Now, let’s start making the broth. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat for about 7 minutes. Once it starts boiling, cover the pot with a lid. Keep an eye on it to prevent it from boiling over.
Step 4
After the broth begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Keep the lid on and let it simmer gently for about 45 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook thoroughly and the flavors to deepen. This slow simmering process extracts a rich and savory broth.
Step 5
If you have homemade nurungji, break it into bite-sized pieces by hand. Add these nurungji pieces to the simmering samgyetang and cook for another 10 minutes. The nurungji will absorb the delicious broth and become tender, creating a wonderful texture. Ladle the Nurungji Samgyetang into bowls and enjoy this unique and comforting dish. The combination of the chewy, savory nurungji and the rich chicken broth is truly outstanding!
