Lemongrass grilled chicken

SERVES 4

For the chicken 1 whole chicken, 1.5-1.7kg 2 lemongrass stalks

6 large garlic cloves

2 coriander roots, roughly chopped, or 2tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander stems, stripped of leaves (you can buy coriander roots from Asian supermarkets and online)

3tsp white or black peppercorns 2tbsp peeled and coarsely chopped fresh ginger

2tbsp grated makrut lime or regular lime zest

3tbsp soy sauce

2tbsp fish sauce

3tbsp packed grated palm sugar or granulated coconut sugar or 2tbsp packed light brown sugar

For the bamboo shoot salad 3tbsp sticky Thai rice

1 x 700g jar bamboo shoot strips in yanang juice

55g shallots, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced lengthwise 1tbsp fish sauce

60ml fresh lime juice red pepper flakes, to season 15g coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves and stems

15g fresh mint leaves

2tbsp toasted white sesame seeds

For the crispy garlic 1 head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled 165ml vegetable oil

To serve cooked sticky rice, kept warm sweet chilli sauce

Spatchcock the chicken (or ask your butcher to do it for you) and put it into a large bowl.

Trim off the tough outer leaves and the root end from each lemongrass stalk. Beginning from the root end, use a very sharp knife to cut each bulb into thin slices, stopping when the purple rings disappear.

Measure out 10g, discarding the rest, and put it into a blender along with the garlic, coriander roots, peppercorns, ginger, lime zest, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. Process to a smooth paste. Rub the marinade on the chicken, making sure to spread it over every bit of the skin and meat. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours or up to overnight, occasionally turning the bird over and spooning the marinade that settles at the bottom of the bowl over it.

Around 1 hour before you begin to cook the chicken, prep the salad. In a dry small frying pan, toast the rice over a mediumlow heat for around 15 minutes, stirring almost constantly, until the grains are golden brown and have a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the rice to a small heatproof bowl and allow to cool completely (do not leave it in the pan, as it will continue to toast). In a small food processor or mortar, grind the rice to a coarse powder. Set aside.

Empty the bamboo shoot jar – liquid and all – into a large saucepan (if the bamboo shoots aren’t completely shredded into separate strands, shred them with a fork). Set aside.

To make the crispy garlic, pound the garlic in a mortar (preferably) or grind in a small food processor into small chards, making sure all of the pieces are roughly equal in size and not small enough to turn into a fine paste.

Set a fine-mesh sieve over a small heatproof bowl and set the bowl near the stove. In a small frying pan, combine the garlic and oil over a medium-low heat and heat gently, stirring often. When