Roast Chicken With Lemon, Honey And Rosemary - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 ounces rosemary sprigs, divided (about 2 large or 4 small bunches)
2 whole chickens
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 lemons, 1 halved, 1 sliced into eight 1/4-inch rounds
1 lb shallot, peeled
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375\u00b0F Line a large roasting pan with 3/4 of rosemary sprigs. Place chickens on top.
Whisk 1/2 cup oil, lemon juice, and honey in a small bowl to blend. Using your hands and beginning at the neck end of chicken, gently lift skin away from breast. Under skin of each chicken, rub 1/4 cup lemon mixture into meat. Drizzle remaining lemon mixture all over outside of chickens.
Place 1 lemon half and 1 shallot inside each chicken cavity; stuff with remaining rosemary sprigs, dividing equally. Season chickens all over with salt and pepper. Place remaining shallots around chickens; arrange 4 lemon rounds on top of each chicken. Drizzle shallots and lemon rounds with remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
Roast chickens, basting frequently with pan juices, for 45 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425\u00b0F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165\u00b0F and skin is deep golden and crispy, about 10 minutes longer.
Spoon pan juices over chickens, shallots, and lemon slices and serve in roasting pan.