Honey and Lemon Glazed Roast Chicken

"I'm crazy for chicken," Piero Incisa della Rocchetta says. "I regularly eat a whole one by myself." Inspired by beautifully browned Peking duck, he brushes chickens with a mixture of soy sauce and honey from the beehives in his Patagonia vineyards.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • Three 3-pound chickens
  • Salt
  • 9 large rosemary sprigs
  • 9 garlic cloves, quartered
  • 1 lemon, cut into 12 wedges

    • Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 450°. In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon juice and soy sauce. Set the chickens on a large rimmed baking sheet and tuck the wing tips underneath. Season the cavities with salt and stuff each one with 3 rosemary sprigs, 3 quartered garlic cloves and 4 lemon wedges. Brush two-thirds of the honey glaze over the chickens and season lightly with salt. Roast in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
    • Reduce the oven temperature to 325°. Rotate the chickens in the pan and brush with the remaining glaze. Roast the chickens for about 45 minutes longer, until the juices run clear when the thighs are pierced; turn the pan halfway through roasting. Transfer the chickens to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the chickens and serve.

      Suggested Pairing

      The soy sauce gives the skin a salty, earthy edge that's ideal for a Pinot Noir like Piero's powerful Bodega Chacra Treinta y Dos. An easier-to-find alternative would be a good Burgundy.




      Recipe from Food & Wine.