Serves 6
Three 2 1/2-pound chicken
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
Juice of 3 lemons (about 3/4 cup), plus 3 lemons, halved, for garnish
3 cups coarsely chopped red onions (1 pound onions)
6 curly leaf parsley sprigs, for garnish
1. Ask the butcher to cut the chickens along each side of the backbone. Remove and discard the backbones. Remove the wing tips and discard.
2. In a small bowl, mix the oregano, salt, garlic powder, and white pepper. Sprinkle half the mixture over the chickens and then drizzle with half the lemon juice. Rub into the chickens. Turn the chickens over and repeat with the remaining herbs and spices and lemon juice.
3. Sprinkle the onions over two small, shallow, non reactive baking pans. Lay the chickens, skin side up, on top of the onions. Add enough cold water to the baking pans to cover the bottoms to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 450F.
5. Remove the chickens from the refrigerator and let them rest on the counter for about 20 minutes to reach room temperature. Turn the chickens over so that they are skin side down and bake for about 10 minutes. Turn and bake for 20 minutes longer, or until golden brown and cooked through.
6. Remove the rib bones and the bones connected to the thigh bones. Or, if this is too difficult, halve or quarter the chickens for serving. Cover and set aside to keep warm.
7. In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of the pan juices and onions over medium-high heat until hot. Spoon over the chickens, garnish each serving with a lemon half and a sprig of parsley.
Note: These are small chickens, and while they are not hard to find, you may have to ask the butcher for them or even special-order them. Buy the smallest you can find and don't worry too much about the exact weight. Younger chickens are tender.
