Ginseng chicken soup (Samgyetang)

1. Rinse the glutinous rice well, soak it in cold water for 1 hour, then drain.

2. Wash the two small chickens (about 800 g each) inside and out, and remove any remaining fat from the cavity.

3. Stuff each cavity with rice, 2-3 garlic cloves, 2 jujubes, 2 chestnuts and a ginseng root, cross the legs, make a small slit in the skin and tuck one leg end through it so the stuffing doesn't fall out.

4. Put the chickens in a large pot with the remaining garlic, jujubes and chestnuts, cover with the water, bring to the boil and skim.

5. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 1 hour 20 minutes, until the meat is tender and the rice inside the chicken is soft.

6. Serve half or a whole chicken per deep bowl with its broth, topped with finely chopped spring onion; serve salt and pepper in a small dish so everyone can dip the meat to taste.

Tip: Koreans eat it on the hottest days of summer (boknal), believing the hot soup restores strength. If you can't find ginseng, leave it out and add more fresh ginger to the soup; dried dates can replace the jujubes.