This is one of those recipes where a lot seems to have been lost in translation. It's been difficult to trace the recipe back to its roots, but I think that, in times of plenty, it used to involve more aromatics and alliums. But time and war and lack of ingredients resulted in more and more of them getting left out of the recipe with each re-writing. Eventually the lemongrass poultry recipe didn't contain much more than the titular lemongrass and poultry!

For the sake of authenticity, I have done my best to follow the recipe as it currently exists. However, I have also included instructions for a more robust and flavourful version below that, should you wish to try it. Hopefully my suggested changes will both improve the dish and bring it closer to its original form.

Lemongrass Poultry

Ingredients

• 3 stalks lemongrass
• 2 Tbsp. light (regular) soy sauce
• 1 habañero¹, seeded and chopped
• 1-2 Tbsp. oil or unsalted butter²
• 1 (1.5kg) chicken
• 2 onions (optional)
• lime wedges, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Smash the lemongrass a few times with the back of your knife and peel off any tough outer leaves. Separate the white and green parts. Chop the whites and place in a molcajete or large mortar. Set the greens aside for now.
2. Mash the lemongrass until it begins to break down. Add the soy sauce, chili, and oil and comtinue mashing.³
3. Smear the marinate all over the chicken, inside and out.
4. Stuff the lemongrass greens inside the chicken. If they're too long to fit nicely, tie them in a knot first.
5. Cover and chill overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C).
7. Srape any chunks from the marinade off the outside of the chicken and stuff them inside.
8. Halve the onions (if using) and slice 1 1/2 of them. Cut the remaining half into quarters and stuff it inside the bird.
9. Place the sliced onions in the bottom of a roasting pan and place the chicken on top of them.
10. Roast at 450°F (230°C) for 15-20 minutes.
11. Baste the chicken with any pan juices. If there are not any pan juices, base the chicken with a little unsalted butter.
12. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F (180°C) and continue roasting until the chicken is cooked through (60-80 minutes or until internal temperature registers 165°F/74°C).
13. Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes before carving.
14. If desired, use the drippings to make gravy.
15. Serve with gravy and/or lime wedges.

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Improved Lemongrass Poultry

Ingredients

• 3 stalks lemongrass
• 2 Tbsp. light (regular) soy sauce
• 1/4 c. fancy tangy sautee mix
• 1 (1.5kg) chicken
• 2 onions (optional)
• lime wedges, to serve (optional)

Puree/mash all the marinade ingredients together and proceed as above.

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¹ I didn't have any habañeros on hand, so I just used a red Thai chili with the seeds left in instead. ^Back
2 I didn't use any fat in my marinade because the recipe didn't mention it. But, once the chicken was cooking, it really did seem to need a little extra something to make sure it sayed succulent and delicious and there would be lots of pan drippings available for making gravy. I'm not sure whether to put this down to the fact that Tyrian chefs often neglect to mention common things like fat, water, salt, and pepper being used in recipes or whether it's due to the fact that moas tend to be a fair bit fattier than chickens and thus often don't need supplemental fat during cooking. Either way, I'd recommend adding a bit of fat to your marinade. ^Back
3 This may also be done in a blender or food processor if you have one available. ^Back