·          whole chicken ( about 3 lb)

·         2 onions, quartered

·         1 head of garlic crushed with skin on

·         3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

·         sprigs of cilantro to taste (careful not to overwhelm the lemon grass)

·         3 stalks lemon grass

·         freshly ground black pepper

·         2 to 3 cups rock salt (enough to raise chicken and leaves away from the bottom surface of the clay pot)

·         banana leaves

Sauce to serve for dipping

·         3 tbsp melted butter

·         3 tbsp lemon juice

·         3 tbsp chicken drippings released from resting chicken after removing from palayok

·         1 tsp ginger paste

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         salt to taste

Directions

1.      Prepare palayok/clay pot by soaking for several hours in water.

2.      Dry and rub chicken both inside and out with salt, garlic and freshly ground black pepper.

3.      Stuff the cavity with onions, lemon grass, garlic and ginger.

4.      Place 3 cups of rock salt in the bottom of water-soaked clay pot, cover salt with banana leaves and line the sides of the pot to prevent the chicken from sticking to the sides of the pot during cooking.  Position the chicken upright atop the leaves and the palayok/clay pot over open flame or high-heat source and  cook for 2 to 2½ two hours until chicken is tender.

5.      Remove chicken from pot to rack to cool, placing a pan beneath to catch juices to use in dipping sauces. 

For Sauce:

1.      Combine all ingredients for sauce in a sauce pan and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

2.      Plate chicken and serve with dipping sauce and coconut rice.