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1
Carefully debone the legs and thighs while leaving them attached to the chicken.
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2
Fill a large pot with 5 quarts water and bring it to a boil over high heat.
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3
Turn off the heat.
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4
Add the salt, brown sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorns and stir until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved.
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5
Set the brine aside to cool completely.
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6
Once the brine has cooled, put the chicken in the pot and set a heavy plate on top of it to keep it submerged.
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7
Cover the pot with plastic wrap, put it in the refrigerator, and let it sit for 8 to 12 hours.
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8
Pull the chicken out of the brine, rinse it under cold running water, and pat it dry with paper towels.
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9
Discard the brine.
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10
Leave the chicken out until it comes to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
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11
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 425F.
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12
Using your fingers to separate the skin from the meat, slide a lemon slice, a few garlic slices, and 1 teaspoon of the parsley leaves under the skin of each breast.
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13
Put the remaining lemon slices, garlic slices, and parsley leaves in the chicken cavity.
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14
Close the cavity by crossing the legs and securing them together with a wooden or metal skewer.
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15
Brush the chicken with the olive oil.
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16
Cut each celery stalk in half crosswise.
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17
In a roasting pan, arrange the celery pieces in a line like ties on a railroad track (youre creating a base to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan).
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18
Lay the chicken right on top of the celery.
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19
Roast the chicken for 20 minutes, until the skin starts to develop a tan color.
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20
Then reduce the oven temperature to 350F and roast for another 50 to 60 minutes, until its internal temperature is 165F.
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21
(Use a meat thermometer to take the temperature, inserting it between the breast and the thigh and making sure it isnt touching the bone.)
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22
Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
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23
To split the chicken in half, separate the breasts by making a long cut along the spine with a sharp knife to reveal the bone.
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24
Carefully carve each breast off the carcass and cut the joint that keeps the wing bone attached, while keeping the breast connected to the leg and thigh.
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25
Transfer to a serving platter or two separate plates, and serve immediately.
