Herbal Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, small- to medium-size
• short-grain/sticky/Japanese sushi rice, enough to fill the chicken cavity
• 5 to 7 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger, chopped finely
• 1 bay leaf
• sea salt, to taste
• dark roasted sesame oil, to taste (garnish)
• green onion, sliced into fine threads (garnish)
• small Thai chili peppers, chopped very finely (garnish)
• optional: 2 medium sticks of dried astragalus root