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1
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
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2
Season the chickens inside and out.
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3
Place the bay leaf, thyme and clove inside the cavity.
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4
Brush the chickens with olive oil.
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5
Place the chickens in a roasting pan so they are resting on one leg.
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6
Add the onion to the pan.
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7
Remove fat from gizzards and necks, and scatter around the pan.
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8
Roast the chickens for 15 minutes, then flip them onto the other leg.
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9
Roast another 15 minutes, then place on their backs.
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10
Brush the chickens with the homemade barbecue sauce.
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11
Roast for another 20 minutes, or longer for larger chickens.
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12
Remove, and let cool before carving.
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13
To carve, cut off trussing strings.
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14
Arrange the chicken, breast side up.
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15
Place a knife parallel to one chicken leg, just under it.
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16
Make a deep incision along the chicken to almost separate the drumstick from the thigh.
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17
Place the knife over the breast meat, positioning it about a third of the way from the drumstick toward the backbone.
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18
Make a deep incision from one end of the chicken to the other.
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19
Place the knife against the breastbone, and make an incision along the bone all the way down to the carcass.
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20
Repeat with other side of chicken.
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21
Pack the chicken this way for the picnic and simply pull it apart with minimal cutting when ready to serve.
