INGREDIENTS:

* 2 cornish game hens, or one 2-pound chicken (I like to use cornish hens for this dish)
* 1/2 cup sweet rice
* 4 pieces of dried ginseng root or 2 whole 3 year old fresh ginseng roots
* 6 garlic cloves
* 8 red dates
* approximately 9 cups water
* 2 green onions, sliced into thin rings for garnish
* Korean hot red pepper powder (optional)
* salt
* pepper

PREPARATIONS AND DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash rice and put aside.

2. Clean out game hens or chicken thoroughly, discarding all guts; trim off the area around the cavity and discard the tail ends. If you’re using Cornish hens, divide the rice, ginseng, garlic and dates to stuff the hens evenly (I like to distribute the garlic and dates and ginseng evenly throughout the cavity). If you’re using chicken, combine all the ingredients for the stuffing. Stuff loosely, keeping in mind that the rice will expand while it cooks.

3. Use a heavy pot (I used my Le Creuset dutch oven), good to make soup in, that will securely hold the chicken/hens. Place the stuffed hens into the pot, ticking in the flaps to prevent the stuffing from falling out. Some people prefer to sew up the flaps to prevent the stuffing from falling out. Tucking the flap only works of the chicken is a snug fit in the pot. What I did was bind with a skewer stick–it’s a lot easier to remove a skewer than it is to cut thread.

4. Pour in 9 cups of water, until the hens are covered and cook for 30 minutes over a medium flame with a lid on. Skim the fat and foam as the hens/chicken cook. After 30 minutes, the broth should have decreased by half, and the hens should be well cooked and tender. Poke to test with a fork. Cook for awhile longer if necessary (I like to simmer for another 30 minutes). Since I had awhile to go until supper, I turned the heat to low and let the hens cook for another hour. It was a great result, the chicken very tender and almost falling off the bone.

5. To serve, gently transfer the Cornish hens to a bowl (traditionally it’s a clay bowl that retains heat, but I used an oversized run of the mill Corelle bowl). You want to serve this immediately. Add broth to cover about 3/4 of the hens. Remember to tell your guests to discard the ginseng. Set out green onions, red hot pepper and salt and pepper so that guests can adjust their own seasoning.