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1.
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Preheat the oven to 400 F. 2.
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Rinse the chicken (including the cavity).
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3.
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Dry the chicken with paper towels, and place it on a cutting board, breast side down and backbone side up, with the neck cavity facing you.
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4.
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Cut along either side of the backbone; remove the bone and throw it away.
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5.
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Turn the chicken over, and firmly press on the breastbone to break it.
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6.
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Now that the chicken is splayed out, pat it dry again with more paper towels (the drier you can get it, the crisper the skin will bake up).
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7.
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Spread a layer of parchment paper on a large baking sheet and put the chicken on it (cavity side down).
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8.
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Pour the olive oil over the chicken, spreading it over the entire surface with your fingers.
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9.
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Generously season the whole chicken with salt and pepper.
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10.
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Break apart the head of garlic (you dont need to remove the papery skins on the cloves) and roughly chop one of the lemons into about 6 pieces.
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11.
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Distribute the garlic, rosemary leaves, and chopped lemon on top of and underneath the chicken, with the whole sprig of rosemary underneath.
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12.
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Roast for 35-45 minutes, testing for doneness at 35 minutes.
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I remove it right before it hits 160F in the breast.
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13.
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Optional: 10 minutes before the roasting time is up, you can smear the skin in butter to add a golden brown color to the skin.
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14.
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Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before carving and serving.
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Serve with fresh wedges of lemon and dont forget to squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins!
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Its one of the best parts.
