LACQUERED CHICKEN

Lacquered Chicken image

Provided by Amanda Freitag

Time 1h55m

Yield 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 8

1/2 cup honey
1 lemon, halved and juiced, juiced halves reserved
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot smoked paprika
Two 3-pound chickens
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 large sprigs rosemary
1 head garlic, halved

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Combine the honey, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and paprika in a small bowl. Set half of the mixture aside.
Season the interior cavities of the chickens with some salt and pepper, and stuff each with 1 juiced lemon half, 2 sprigs of rosemary and half a head of garlic. Put the chickens on a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, brush them with half of the honey mixture and roast for 30 minutes.
Remove the chickens from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325º degrees F. Brush the chickens with most of the remaining honey mixture and return them to the oven, making sure to rotate the pan. Cook for another 30 minutes, brush them with the remaining honey mixture, and cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees F, about 15 minutes more. Rest the chickens 10 minutes, carve, and serve.