Yields Makes 8 servings
Notes: Eat the roast garlic with the chicken, or spread onto broomstick breadsticks.

How to Make It

Step 1
1

In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary leaves, sage, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Step 2
2

Rinse chickens and pat dry. Pull off and discard lumps of fat. Rub olive oil mixture all over chickens and set birds breast up and at least 1 inch apart on a rack in a 12- by 17-inch roasting pan. Rub remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil all over garlic. Place garlic heads on rack beside chickens.

Step 3
3

Roast in a 425° oven until garlic is soft when pressed, about 1 hour, and chickens are well browned and meat is no longer pink at thigh bone (cut to test), 1 to 1 1/4 hours; if garlic is done before chickens, transfer garlic to a dish and keep warm. Tip juices out of body cavities into roasting pan.

Step 4
4

Put chickens on a large platter, surround with garlic heads, and garnish with rosemary sprigs. Keeping chickens warm, let rest 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 5
5

Carve chickens. Separate garlic cloves and squeeze garlic from peels to eat with chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients

 3 tablespoons olive oil
 2 tablespoons lemon juice
 2 teaspoons dried thyme
 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves or crumbled dried rosemary
 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves or dried rubbed sage
  About 1/2 teaspoon pepper
 2 chickens (about 4 lb. each)
 8 heads garlic (each 2 in. wide)
  Rosemary sprigs, rinsed
  Salt

Directions

Step 1
1

In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary leaves, sage, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Step 2
2

Rinse chickens and pat dry. Pull off and discard lumps of fat. Rub olive oil mixture all over chickens and set birds breast up and at least 1 inch apart on a rack in a 12- by 17-inch roasting pan. Rub remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil all over garlic. Place garlic heads on rack beside chickens.

Step 3
3

Roast in a 425° oven until garlic is soft when pressed, about 1 hour, and chickens are well browned and meat is no longer pink at thigh bone (cut to test), 1 to 1 1/4 hours; if garlic is done before chickens, transfer garlic to a dish and keep warm. Tip juices out of body cavities into roasting pan.

Step 4
4

Put chickens on a large platter, surround with garlic heads, and garnish with rosemary sprigs. Keeping chickens warm, let rest 5 to 10 minutes.

Step 5
5

Carve chickens. Separate garlic cloves and squeeze garlic from peels to eat with chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Roast Chickens with Vampireproof Garlic Garland

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