Roasted Lemongrass Chicken (with Sweet Lime Sauce)

Ingredients:

• • MARINADE
• 1/2 or 1 whole roasting chicken (the marinade is enough for 1 medium-size chicken)
• 1 stalk lemongrass OR subsitute juice of 1 lemon
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger, grated or thinly sliced
• 1/2 can thick coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 3 tsp. dark soy sauce
• optional: 1 kaffir lime leaf
• lime wedges and fresh coriander as a garnish
  • SAUCE INGREDIENTS (enough for 1/2 chicken; double the recipe if you're making a whole chicken):
• 1 cup water
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 thumb-size piece galangal or ginger, minced or grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 heaping tsp. arrowroot powder or cornstarch powder, dissolved in 3 Tbsp. water

Preparation:

1. Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Place lemongrass (or lemon juice), garlic, galangal or ginger, fish sauce, soy sauce, lime leaf, and coconut milk in a food processor (or blender).
2. Process well - this is your marinade.
3. Place chicken in your roasting pan, and pour marinade over top.
4. Using your hands, smother the chicken in the marinade. #Leave in the refrigerator for up to 3 hours (1/2 an hour minimum).
5. When chicken is done marinading, add about 1/2 cup of water to the bottom of the roasting pan (you can mix it in with any marinade that has dripped down).
6. Cover and place in a 325 degree oven. Roast the chicken slowly and for a long period in order for it to be tender. #Allow it to roast 1 to 1.5 hours for half a chicken, or 2.5 to 3 hours for a whole chicken.
7. Check the chicken every hour to make sure there is enough moisture in the bottom of the pan (add a little more water if it is becoming dry).
8. While you have the chicken out, use a soup ladle to scoop up the juices from the bottom of the pan and pour over the chicken.
9. Put back in the oven.
10. While chicken is roasting, make the sauce. In a saucepan, add all sauce ingredients except arrowroot powder (or cornstarch).
11. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer.
12. Taste test for sweetness and saltiness, adding more honey if not sweet enough, or more fish sauce (instead of salt) as desired.
13. If you prefer a spicy sauce, add some fresh chilli or chilli sauce.
14. Add the arrowroot or cornstarch powder dissolved in the water.
15. Stir and continue to simmer until sauce thickens. (If it becomes too thick to your liking, add more lime juice and water.)
16. Serve the roasted chicken on a platter, either whole or chopped into pieces.
17. Drizzle some of the sauce overtop, then pour the rest around the outside of chicken, or serve it on the side. #Garnish with lime slices or wedges, and fresh sprigs of coriander.
18. Serve with plenty of Thai jasmine-scented rice (or potatoes if you prefer), and enjoy!