Ingredients:
· 6 medium (3 pounds) sweet
potatoes
· 16 cipollini onions or
small white onions
· 1/2 cup brown sugar
· Salt
· Freshly ground black pepper
· Extra virgin olive oil
· Two 4- to 6-pound roasting
chickens
· 16 sage leaves, with stems
reserved for stuffing cavity
Preparation:
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into four pieces each. Peel the
onions and if they are large cut in half to form half-moons. In a large bowl,
toss the onions and the sweet potatoes with the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of
salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and just enough olive oil to moisten. Place
the vegetables in a large roasting pan.
Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
Cut off the tail and the excess skin and fat on the chickens.
Separate the skin from the meat by gently working from the front and back of
the breasts with your fingers. Move down the breasts and over the tops of the
thighs and legs. Separate the skin as far as your fingers can reach. Slide the
sage leaves between the skin and the meat. Position one on top of each of the
legs, one on each of the thighs, and two on each breast.
Season the cavity of
the chickens well with salt and pepper; stuff the sage stems into the cavity.
Tie the birds with kitchen twine: Cut a string measuring 24 inches
long or measure a piece of string three times the length of the bird. Loop the
center of the string over the neck bone and under the shoulders. Run the string
over the wings and along the bottom of the breast so that it is tucked in
between the breast and the thigh. Cross the string at the point of the breast
and tie once, pulling the string tightly. Loop each end of the string around
the end of each drumstick and tie once to pull the legs snugly against the
point of the breast. Tie a second time to form a knot. Trim the ends of the
string.
To do a quick truss, make a slit on either side of the breast just
above the thigh/leg joint, parallel to the breast meat in the space where the
breast meat ends and the thigh meat begins. It should be wide enough to stick
the ends of the legs in. The slit should be about 2 inches from the edge of the
cavity. Turn the bird so that the cavity is facing toward you. Grab the end of
the drumstick and push the leg thigh joint back toward the wing. Tuck the end
of the drumstick into the slit and pat the leg back into position, repeat with
the other leg.
Rub the chickens with olive oil and season their skin well with
salt and pepper. Place the birds on top of the prepared vegetables in the
roasting pan.
Oven-sear the chickens in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn
the oven down to 400 degrees F and add 1 cup of water to the roasting pan. The
water will mix with the caramelized juices of the chicken and vegetables and
produce a wonderful pan juice. Roast for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours; add more water
if the pan juices become dry.
The chickens are done when a thermometer reads
145 degrees F when inserted into the thigh or when the juices run clear from
the thigh and leg when pierced. Remove the chickens and place them on a cutting
board or platter.
Let the chickens rest covered lightly with a foil tent for 15
minutes before carving. They will continue to cook as they rest. Cut the
chickens into eight pieces each (cut the large breasts in half). Serve with
onions and potatoes on the side and the degreased pan juices spooned over.
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