Director of culinary at SO/Auckland & Sofitel Auckland, Marty Kindleysides shares some of his Sunday rituals with us.
What does Sunday look like in your kitchen?
Sundays have always been a family day for me. It is time to spend with my wife and daughter after a busy week in the kitchen. I will finish late on a Saturday evening and will take advantage of a late Sunday morning sleep in.
We usually catch up with Monica's parents and share a family meal together, often a lot of Korean barbecue. On special occasions we will make a samgyetang, which is a traditional Korean chicken ginseng soup, it contains the healing benefits of ginseng, milkvetch root, cnidium and mulberry tree . This is accompanied with Memil-buchimgae (Korean buckwheat pancakes) and huge servings of my mother-in-law's homemade kimchi.
Why have you chosen to share this dish?
Of all the chicken dishes, chicken soup is by far one the most common across cultures throughout the world. It helps soothe the body with heat, hydration, and nutrients. Samgyetang will chase away a cold, and heal you from the inside. The added benefits of sharing it with family in a loving environment heals my soul as well.
Samgyetang
1 organic free-range chicken (size 12)
¼ cup glutinous rice (soaked in water overnight)
15g fresh 15-year (plus) Kiwiseng ginseng from Rotorua
4 cloves, garlic, peeled
5 dried jujube fruit
4 ginkgo nuts, peeled (hint: I collect mine free in May from Princess St at Auckland University when they fall to the ground. Extra hint: Wear gloves!)
3 to 4 fresh or frozen chestnuts, peeled
1 x samgyetang packet from your local Korean mart (this typically contains Korean medicinal plants such as milkvetch, mulberry bark, Siberian ginseng and angelica root)
1x bamboo skewer
Pine nuts and sliced spring onion, to garnish
Seasoning salt
Sea salt
Freshly ground black peppercorns
Ground Korean sesame seeds
1. Put all the following ingredients into the cavity of the chicken: Glutinous rice, Kiwiseng ginseng, garlic cloves, 2 x jujube, ginkgo nuts and chestnuts.
2. Loosely thread the skewer through the skin of the cavity. Don't make it too tight, as you want liquid to enter and cook the rice. You just want to keep the ingredients in the cavity, but it's okay if some rice falls out, as this will add to the body of the broth.
3. Place the chicken into a large enough stock pot and just cover with water. Add the soup pack ingredients and remaining jujube. Cook over medium-high heat for 30 minutes with the lid on. Turn down to a low heat and cook for another 35 minutes. From time to time, lift the lid and ladle hot broth over the chicken. If the water level falls to low, top it up a little. (Do not season the broth. This is done at the table to each individual taste with the seasoning salt.)
4. To serve, place chicken on a serving platter and ladle soup into deep bowls. Garnish soup with spring onion and pine nuts. Guests share the rice filling and chicken at the table. The chicken is seasoned with salt seasoning, along with the soup.
On October 26, SO/Auckland will host 'A Day in Provence', a three-course French lunch with canapes to begin, wine matches, and a goodie bag to take away. Tickets are $95, book at so-auckland.com