Say Goodbye To Bland Chicken With This Lemongrass & Herb Infused Recipe

Say goodbye to bland chicken

Koichiko

Jan 17, 2025 - 21:02

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Say Goodbye To Bland Chicken With This Lemongrass & Herb Infused Recipe

Food Writer, Recipe Developer, and Food Stylist

By Yewande Komolafe

Food Writer, Recipe Developer, and Food Stylist

Yewande Komolafe’s writing and recipes have appeared in the New York Times, Whetstone, Food & Wine, Munchies, and the books Sheetpan Chicken by Cathy Erway for TASTE and Lindsay Gardner’s Why We Cook. She is the author of My Lagos.

January 17, 2025

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Sunday was chicken day at our family’s house in Ikeja, Lagos, and the result was a dinner sourced almost entirely from the backyard: freshly picked herbs to elevate the senses, ripe citrus to add acid to the drippings, seasoning blends my mother made and stored in her pantry, and of course, the chicken itself (several of which we kept year-round in a broad enclosure).

There’s no buka in Lagos that serves a dish quite like this, but the flavor components are recognizable. And coconut rice, of course, can be found across Lagos.

This is something that has become a Sunday tradition for me and my family in Brooklyn. Even the herb seasoning arrives with my mother on her visits, and it gives me an enormous sense of joy to share it with you. Serve this with any of the condiments and sauces from the previous chapters.

Mom’s sunday chicken

With coconut rice

Ingredients

1 whole 3½- to 4-pound chicken or 2 Cornish hens¼ cup Manshanu (recipe below)1 shallot, minced1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated1 tablespoon Omotunde’s Spice Blend (recipe below)1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste2 medium onions, quartered lengthwise1 stalk of lemongrass, cut into 3- to 4-inch pieces and smashed with the back of a knife1 garlic bulb, cut crosswise2 cups long-grain rice such as jasmine or basmati1 cup full-fat coconut milk1 tablespoon lime zest2 green onions, roots trimmed, thinly sliced¼ cup large unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin around the chicken breast and thighs up from the flesh.In a small bowl, combine the manshanu, shallot, ginger, and the spice blend. Use a fork to combine into a smooth paste.Without tearing the skin, gently spread tablespoonfuls of the compound manshanu underneath the skin. Rub whatever is left of the manshanu around the chicken cavity. Season the inside and outside with 1 tablespoon salt. Truss the chicken by tying the legs together with kitchen twine and tucking in the wing tips.In a large 8-quart clay pot or Dutch oven, layer the onions, lemongrass, and garlic in the bottom of the pot. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables. Cover and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.While the chicken is roasting, prepare the coconut rice. In a small pot, combine the rice with 2 cups of water and the coconut milk. Season with salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until the rice is just tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Allow the cooked rice to sit covered until you are ready to serve.Increase the oven temperature to 400°F, uncover the chicken, and continue to roast for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is golden and the meat quite tender. The juices should run clear and an oven thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh. should be at least 165°F.Remove from the oven, transfer the chicken to a board, and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.Just before serving, add the lime zest, sliced green onions, and toasted coconut flakes to the rice. Fluff with a fork and sprinkle some more spice blend over the top.Carve the chicken and serve topped with the onions tossed in the pan drippings, coconut rice, dòdò (fried sweet plantains), and any or all of the following condiment sauces: Ata Dín Dín, Ofada Stew, and Trinity Pepper Paste.

Manshanu

(Clarified Milk Fat)

Yield: About ¾ Cup

Manshanu is a clarified fat made from fresh unpasteurized cow’s milk. It is used in northern Nigerian cuisine to add creaminess and gloss to a variety of dishes. Its silky texture make it ideal for sautéing ingredients or finishing sauces. A locally made ingredient, manshanu is sometimes bulked up by combining it with raw animal fat. Pure clarified milk fat versions are available but more expensive. Since fresh unpasteurized cow’s milk can be difficult to come by in Brooklyn, this recipe starts with a pound of butter and slightly browns the milk solids to give the butter a gentle, nutty fragrance. Manshanu, like other clarified butters such as ghee, has a high smoke point and will keep well for up to six months refrigerated. I use it generously in Móín Móị́ n, to cook Sinasir, and to finish Dan Wake

Ingredients

Directions

In a shallow saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Cook until the milk solids separate and float above the fat. Skim off the milk solids using a slotted spoon. Continue to cook, stirring frequently until the moisture is cooked off and any solids that remain begin to brown slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.Cool slightly and pour the manshanu in a jar. Seal and store for up to 6 months in the refrigerator.

Omotunde’s Spice Blend

This blend of dried herbs and spices is named after my mother, Omotunde Rhoda Komolafe, who never travels without it. She sprinkles it on everything from eggs to chicken, and rubs it on whole fish and vegetables. It reminds me of her garden—an extraordinary plot of flowers, herbs, ferns, fruit trees, and leafy greens that surrounds the house. The care she takes in drying and milling these ingredients means you probably won’t find anything like this in the markets of Lagos, but I want you to know it as closely as I do. Herbs and flower petals are crushed to give it a coarse consistency, which makes it ideal for both low- and medium-temperature baking and roasting.

Ingredients

¼ cup dried crushed scent leaves or basil¼ cup dried crushed edible flower petals, such as chive blossoms, rose petals, or any blossoms from herbs2 tablespoons dried crushed mint leaves2 tablespoons dried crushed wild oregano or marjoram leaves

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the scent leaves, flower petals, mint leaves, and oregano or marjoram leaves and toss with a spoon to incorporate. Store sealed in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.