Korean Job Discussion Forums

[huck]

Hey...

I want to make soups and most of them call for chicken stock. Do you know where I can buy it in Seoul? I don't want to make it myself, and I know that they sell it in cans in stores at home.

Thanks..

[Robot_Teacher]

Hey! I know you said you don't want to make it, but it's so easy. Just take a whole chicken or chick parts, especially the skin and fatty parts and simmer on low for several hours in a pot of water. Add salt to flavor. Presto!

[poet13]

Buy a chicken. Dead is easier. Chop it up. Put it in a pot. Boil it. Voila. Stock. Yeah, there's a little more to it than that, but it's precious little. And the quality of the product is so much better.

If you can't do that, buy Knorr or any other stock bullion cubes.

[Viilentore]

You can buy it canned in Itaewon at the Foreign Market on hooker hill (cheapest). Additionally, there is a grocery store near Gecko's Terrace that has it (costs more). There are another 2 places that carry it down the hill from the Hyatt Hotel, or up the road from the Wellbing Market in Haebangchon across the street from the Yongsan gate / kimchi pot hill (costs the most I think). Or just buy a whole chicken or two, bake 'em, eat the meat, and boil the carcasses in a pot of water with whole onions, a couple sage leaves (and maybe a carrot) for a few hours on low heat. Pour it through a strainer into a container and use it or freeze it. I use it or make my own stock for King Ranch Casserole.

[Straphanger]

[Kikomom]

The best flavored chicken stock is made after you have roasted the chicken first. Debone the meat, then put the bones and skins back into the pot with onion, garlic, celery, and parsley and bay leaf. SIMMER (don't allow it to boil) for a couple hours, strain out the stock and discard the rest. Use the juices from the bottom of the roasting pot too, if you're not already using them for gravy.

[Straphanger]

[Jane]

I heard you can get pre-canned stock at the Emart at Seoul Station...I haven't seen it for myself though.

Other than that, Costco used to sell it but don't anymore, from what I hear, but it might be worth checking if you have membership.

For the love of poodles, avoid Knorr and other bullion cubes. They are extremely high in sodium.

Finally, if you don't mind using beef broth, you can buy packs of premade soup with bones in the Korean food store. They are yellow packets and I think can be found in the soup section. Not sure how these fare healthwise, but it's a substitute to consider.

[stuey11]

You can buy it at Shinchon underground shopping centre ( well not really underground but it feels like it) Out of Shinchon station exit 8, walk about 5-10 metres and you'll see the underground arcadeon your left. Lots of shops carrying foreign/imported goods. Make sure you check the sell by date

[Straphanger]

[huck]

Thanks for the words of wisdom.

I guess I could try making it.

Are bay leaves easy to find?

[tzechuk]

Costco sells Swansons chicken stock.

I use oxo cubes when I don't have time (brought over from the UK and HK). I make it when I do have time, which is rare these days..

[Photogenic]

You can try the Samsung Dong Hyundai Department Store. It sells Swanson Chicken Broth by the 8oz can along with the larger 32oz family size.

Making your own:
To make your own it is dead simple. Cooks Illustrated publishes a book entitled "Best Recipe Soups & Stews". My take on their recipe for quick chicken soup while simple, is wonderful and easy to do here in Korea.

This is what you will need in order to make it:

Stock:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, choppen medium
4 pounds (@1.8 Kilo) whole chicken legs or backs and wing tips, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 quarts (2 liters) boiling water
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves

1. Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions; saute until colored and softened a little, 2-3 minutes. Remove to a small bowl.

2. Add half the chicken pieces to the pot; saute both sides until lightly browned, 4 to five minutes. Remove chicken and place into the bowl with the onions. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished return the onion and chicken to the pot and reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken gives up its juices, about 20 minutes.

3. Ramp up the heat to high; add any optional ingredients listed below, the boiling water, salt, and bay leaves. When the liquid returns to a low boil reduce to a simmer, then cover and lightly simmer until the stock is rich and full of flavor, about 20 minutes.

4. Strain the stock; discard the solids. This can be done with a colander lined with a piece of cheese cloth. Before using, defat the stock either with a fat separator or place in a fridge and wait for the fat to solidify then skim and remove. This should keep in an airtight container for up to two days or several months if frozen.

NOTE: Don't bother using the spent chicken used in the stock. After cooking, the meat will have given up all its flavor.

For Soup:
Add an additional 2 chicken breasts to the saute and reserve until the stock base has been finished, strained and defatted. At this point bring the stock back to a boil, add any optional ingredients then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. While the stock is simmering shred or chop the chicken breast, add to the pot at the end of the 5 minutes, then simmer for an additional 10 minutes. If only using chicken just simmer 10 minutes and serve.

Optional: When making stock and or when making soup.
1/2 medium carrot and or a 10 inch (@25cm) piece of celery chopped into small pieces no bigger then 1/2 the size of your pinky finger nail.

Asian Style: When adding boiling water to make the stock add a small coin sized piece of peeled ginger no thicker than 1/2 cm to the pot.

Herbs: 1/2 teaspoon fresh or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme added to the stock and or finely chopped flat leaf parsley added at serving time.

Enjoy:

[Straphanger]

[Vancouver]

i did a week of stocks in culinary school.

Add about 1 onion, one and a half carrots, or 1 thick carrot, 2 stalks of celery per 2 deboned chicken, so the body and the legs and thigh. try to get as little meat as you can in there. Meat and fat = impurities = cloudiness.

put the bones in a pot, rinse it out twice or three times. You don't want to have a really red pot of water (from the blood) when you start. add the veg. (Mire poix) and a sachet of....

(per 5L)
2 bay leaves
1 head of garlic cut in half, exposing the inside of the bulb

5lm thyme and peppercorns optional

add the chicken, add the water to cover the chicken, then add more water til its like 4 inches above the bones, cause the water will reduce. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer. Skim off all impurities. it'll look like foam. then add the mire poix and sachet and simmer for 4-6 hours. I did mine for like 6 hours.

You can roast the bones if you want, but normally, chicken stock isn't roasted. Beff and Veal bones are roasted though...but that's done in a totally different way.

once its simmered for hours, drain and cool.