Lemongrass grilled chicken (Kai yang)

1. Cut the whole chicken in half along the backbone, open it out flat and score the thicker parts so it cooks evenly.

2. Finely chop the soft lower part of the lemongrass, the garlic and the coriander stalks, then pound them to a paste in a mortar with the white pepper.

3. Mix the paste with the fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar and oil and rub it well into the chicken; refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

4. Heat the grill or oven to 200 °C; place the chicken skin side up on a rack with a tray of water underneath.

5. Roast for 45-50 minutes, basting 2-3 times with the marinade, until the skin is golden brown and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced.

6. Rest for 10 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve with sticky rice, som tam and nam chim chaeo dipping sauce.

Tip: A classic of the street grills of north-eastern Thailand (Isan), where it is cooked over charcoal, clamped between bamboo sticks. On a barbecue, cook it over indirect heat so the skin doesn't burn before the meat is cooked through.