Preheat the oven to 400°F.

First, you gotta make the marinade. Mince the shallots and and toss ’em in a large bowl.

Trim the fresh lemongrass stalk and grate finely.

…or smash the stalk with a meat pounder and cut finely against the grain of the fibers.

Add the minced lemongrass to the bowl.

Toss in the minced garlic and ginger.

Crack some black pepper into the bowl, and then grab a lime and zest off just the outermost green layer of the fruit. If you’re grating the white pith, you’ve gone too far. Really: the white pith is bitter and will ruin your marinade.

Lastly, add the salt, olive oil, fish sauce, and honey.

Stir the marinade to combine all the ingredients.

Plop in the chicken thighs and massage the marinade all over the bird parts.

Cover the bowl and let it marinate for at least one hour. I know it’s hard to wait, but your patience will be rewarded.

Place the chicken skin-side down on a wire rack placed on top of a foil lined baking sheet.

Pop the chicken in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Flip the chicken skin-side up and rotate the tray 180 degrees. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the skin is evenly browned and the thickest part of the meat registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.