Ingredients

• 2 whole chickens (3 to 5 lbs each)

• 1/4 cup Kosher salt

• 1 Tablespoon baking powder

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter

• small bunch of thyme

• 2 lemons

Instructions

Prep Ahead (Day Before)

The day before cooking the chickens, remove the wishbone. This is an essential first step in all bird preparations, including Thanksgiving turkeys, because it makes it easier to keep the breast intact when carving. To find the bone, pull back the skin around the front of the bird and look for the inverted “V” above the neck. Slide your knife down one stem of the “V,” then turn it sharply inward. The stem should snap free. Repeat on the other side. Work the top of the “V” loose with your fingers or (very carefully) with a knife.

Combine the salt and baking powder in a small bowl and stir well. Place the chickens on a rack set over a baking sheet and coat the exterior of each bird evenly with the salt mixture. Place the tray, uncovered, in the refrigerator and allow the chickens to dry overnight.

Prep the Chickens (Day Of)

The next day, use your fingers to loosen the skin over the breasts and place 1 Tablespoon of butter under the skin on each side of the breast. Press the butter through the skin with your fingertips to spread it out as much as possible. Stuff half of the thyme into the cavity of each chicken.

Set Up the Tray

Place the chickens on the rack set over the enameled tray or a foil-lined solid tray for the convection steam oven. Cut each lemon in half and place them cut-side down around the chickens. Sprinkle the chickens lightly with black pepper.

Cook (Convection Steam Oven)

Insert the temperature probe into the breast of 1 chicken, starting near the base of the breast by the wing joint and pushing into the breast about 1 inch from the breast bone. Place the tray on rack position 2 and insert the other end of the probe into the wall socket on the side of the oven.

Select Convection Humid at 385°F and set the probe temperature to 155°F. Press Enter to start the oven and cook until the internal temperature is reached.

Rest and Serve

Remove the tray from the oven and let the chickens rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Squeeze the roasted lemons over the chickens, then carve and serve.