Korean Chicken Soup (Dakgomtang)

Ingredients

• short-grain white rice — cooked360 g
• whole chicken1.8 kg
• garlic cloves — 12 left whole and 3 thinly sliced15 ea
• medium onion — halved1 ea
• fresh ginger — peeled and minced20 g
• large green onions2 ea
• salt — 3 ½ tsp21 g
• toasted sesame oil15 ml
• soy sauce30 ml
• vinegar15 ml
• green chili pepper — chopped1 ea
• onion — cut into small chunks40 g
• gochugaru25 g
• fish sauce30 ml

Method

1. Cook the chicken: wash the chicken under cold running water and put it into a large, heavy pot (about 8 litres). Add 3.8 litres water, the 12 whole garlic cloves, the halved onion, 1 tablespoon of the ginger and 1 large green onion. Cover and cook for 30 minutes over medium-high heat until vigorously boiling.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 40 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Turn off the heat and transfer the chicken and cooked vegetables to a large tray with a slotted spoon.
3. Add 1 tablespoon salt to the broth and stir. Cover the pot to keep the broth hot. Discard the cooked onion, green onion and ginger, but save the cooked garlic.
4. Separate the meat from the bones: shred the breast meat into long strips along the grain and place it on the tray. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, the sesame oil and the reserved cooked garlic and gently toss to combine. Tear the darker meat from the thighs, drumsticks and wings into bite-sized pieces and arrange it on a serving plate. Discard the skin or serve it alongside, as you prefer.
5. Put the bones back into the pot, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes (up to 1 hour for a richer broth), until the broth turns a little milky. Add water if needed to keep about 2.4 to 2.9 litres of broth.
6. Meanwhile, make the soy sauce relish: combine the soy sauce, vinegar, green chili pepper, onion chunks and sliced garlic in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.
7. Make the spicy seasoning paste: combine the gochugaru, 60 ml hot chicken broth from the pot, the fish sauce and the remaining 1 teaspoon ginger in a small bowl. Stir well and set aside.
8. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cotton cloth or cheesecloth into a large bowl to remove excess fat and impurities. Wash the pot and pour the strained broth back in.
9. Reheat the broth. Thinly slice the remaining large green onion. Divide the rice among 4 large bowls, top with the seasoned breast meat, ladle the hot broth over and top with the sliced green onion.
10. Serve with the plate of dark meat, the soy sauce relish, the spicy seasoning paste and ground black pepper on the side so everyone can season their soup to taste. Accompany with kimchi.