If using a whole chicken, you’ll want to cut it in half. Do this first by removing the backbone: With sharp kitchen shears (or a very sharp knife), start at the neck of the chicken and snip down both sides of the spine (or cut down both sides) all the way down through to the butt (save the backbone in the freezer for your next batch of broth).

Splay it out on a cutting board, skin side up, and firmly press chicken to flatten slightly to make it easier to cut through.

Using your knife, cut down the middle of the chicken between the two breasts, giving you two identical halves of the chicken (if they are slightly less than identical… that’s okay).

No matter what kind of chicken you’re starting with, season it with salt and pepper (do this as far in advance as possible—up to 24 hours, but even if it’s only 10 minutes, great).

Start your grill. This means turning on the gas (high on one side, low on the other), or building a charcoal grill (with coals banked to one side).

Once your grill is properly hot (this will vary, and only you know your grill like you do), drizzle your chicken on both sides with some oil, just to grease things up a bit.

Place the chicken skin side UP on the cooler of the two sides of the grill.

Cover your grill (be sure to open the vents if using charcoal to keep the air flowing) and don’t look at, touch, or really even think about your chicken for at least 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce and prepare the other wonderful things you’ll eat the chicken with. Combine lime juice, lime zest, fish sauce, honey (if using), garlic and jalapeño in a medium bowl.

Season with salt, pepper and more fish sauce or honey/light brown sugar if you want. It should be very salty, very tart, very garlicky and just a little spicy.

Back to the chicken! Remove the cover of your grill– the chicken should be nicely browned on top and firm to the touch.

If it still looks extremely pale and perhaps still totally raw, make sure your heat is working as well as it can, and let it go another 5-10 or so minutes.

Once the chicken is firm enough to handle with tongs (a sign it’s nearly cooked through), flip it over, skin side down, inching a bit closer to the hotter part of the grill.

Let it nicely brown and finish cooking, another 15-20 minutes.

Remove chicken from the grill and place skin-side up on a cutting board or serving platter of your choosing.

Spoon the limey dressing over the chicken and scatter with a few herbs.

Serve with sprigs of herbs, whole big leaves of lettuce, chunky pieces of scallion, sliced cucumber, and a nice pot of fluffy rice.