Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 75-90 minutes

Cut: Whole Chicken

Ingredients

2 whole chickens (about 3lbs/1.5kg each)
4 medium onions
3 lemons

Herb Butter:
1/2 cup (125 ml) butter at room temperature
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) minced fresh herbs (oregano, sage, rosemary etc)
1 green onion, minced
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) pepper

Preparation

Tip: Or use a large cast iron skillet.  Do not line skillet with foil.

Preheat oven to 400F. Remove chickens from the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting. Meanwhile, slice the ends off each onion then cut in half widthwise. Cut each lemon into 8 wedges.

In a small bowl combine all the Herb Butter ingredients and mix well. Line a roasting pan with foil*; place onion halves in the bottom of the pan. Loosen the skin on the chicken breasts. Spread about half of the Herb Butter under the skin; spread the remainder of the Herb Butter on top of the skin.

Tuck 4 lemon wedges in the cavity of each chicken.

Using cotton kitchen string (butcher string), tie the legs together and secure the wings to the body. Place the chickens, breast side up, on top of the onions (move onions around until each chicken is balanced on the onions).

Scatter the remaining lemon wedges around the chickens. Roast chickens until a meat thermometer inserted into the chicken breast reads 180F (82C) (about 75-90 minutes). If the skin is browning too quickly, cover the chickens loosely with foil.

Remove pan from the oven. Transfer the chickens to a cutting board.  Cover them loosely with the foil and let stand 15-20 minutes before carving.

Transfer roasted lemons and onions to a serving dish and keep warm. Skim the fat from the pan juices then strain the juices into a sauce pan.  Just before serving, bring the juices to a boil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve carved chicken with the roasted lemons, onions, and pan juices.