Ingredients

   
2 Cornish hens (~680g each)
80g sweet rice (glutinous), soaked 1 hour
2 fresh ginseng roots
2 dried jujubes
16 cloves garlic, tips removed
2000g cold water
3 green onions, chopped
  kosher salt
  black pepper

(A) Sesame dipping sauce

   
5g kosher salt
3g toasted sesame seeds
  pinch black pepper
15g toasted sesame oil

(B) Soy dipping sauce

   
45g soy sauce
30g white vinegar
5g honey
½ onion, chunked
1 jalapeño, chopped

Steps

  1. Make dipping sauces. Mix (A) in a small bowl. Mix (B) in another. Set both aside.

  2. Drain the soaked rice. Remove giblets from hens, rub with salt, rinse under cold water, and pat dry. Trim wing tips and excess cavity fat.

  3. Stuff each hen with half the rice, 1 ginseng root, 1 jujube, and 8 garlic cloves. Tuck legs to close the cavity (or tie with twine).

  4. Place hens in a heavy pot. Add 2000g cold water. Cover, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook 30 minutes.

  5. Reduce heat to medium. Cook another 40 minutes, occasionally ladling broth over the tops of the hens. Add water if the broth reduces too much. The chicken is done when the leg pulls away easily and the rice inside is soft.

  6. Place each hen in a deep bowl. Ladle broth over. Sprinkle with green onion and black pepper. Serve with dipping sauces and a small dish of salt for seasoning at the table.

Notes

  • Each person gets a whole hen. This is a one-bowl meal — commit to it.
  • Koreans eat this on the hottest days of summer (삼복). The philosophy is “fight fire with fire” (이열치열) — hot soup to match the heat outside.
  • Fresh ginseng is sold at Korean grocery stores, usually in the refrigerated section. Dried ginseng works but needs longer cooking. Skip the extract/powder — it’s too concentrated and bitter.
  • Jujubes (대추) are dried red dates. They add subtle sweetness to the broth.
  • Sweet rice (찹쌀) becomes sticky and porridge-like inside the hen. Regular short-grain rice works but won’t have the same texture.
  • A gentle simmer keeps the broth clear. A hard boil makes it cloudy and can toughen the meat.
  • Serve with kimchi on the side. Cold watermelon after is traditional.