Categories: Poultry

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 whole chickens (3 1/2 to 4 pounds each), giblets discarded
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 5 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

Directions

1. PREP CHICKEN Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine 1 tablespoon salt, 2 teaspoons pepper, and paprika in small bowl. Pat chickens dry with paper towels. Following photo 1, rub mixture under skin and over outside of each chicken. (To ensure deeply seasoned chicken, we gently loosen its skin and rub it with a salt-pepper-paprika spice mix inside and out.) Tuck wings behind back, and tie legs together with kitchen twine.

2. MAKE GLAZE Stir cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together in bowl until no lumps remain; set aside. Bring honey and 4 tablespoons vinegar to simmer in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to ½ cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly whisk cornstarch mixture into glaze. Return to simmer and cook 1 minute.

3. ROAST CHICKEN Arrange chickens, breast side down, on V-rack set inside roasting pan. Roast until just golden, about 35 minutes. Remove chickens from oven and, using wad of paper towels, flip breast side up. Raise oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 cup water and broth into roasting pan. Return chickens to oven and roast until thigh meat registers 165 to 170 degrees, 30 to 40 minutes. (We wait until the chicken is almost done before glazing it with a honey-vinegar mix. By now, the skin is crispy and the honey won’t burn.) Brush chickens evenly with thick layer of glaze, and continue to roast until glaze is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer chickens to cutting board, brush with remaining glaze, and let rest 15 minutes.

4. MAKE SAUCE Meanwhile, pour pan juices and any accumulated chicken juices into saucepan; skim fat. (To accentuate the honey flavor, we make a sauce from pan drippings, which are faintly sweet from glaze runoff.) Stir in thyme, bring to simmer, and cook until sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and remaining vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Carve chickens and serve, passing sauce at table.

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