Lemon, garlic and herb roast chicken

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190ºC. Remove the chickens from the fridge two hours before you roast them, so they can come up to room temperature.
2. Roughly slice the carrots and celery and cut the onions, right through their skins, into discs. Arrange these vegetables in two shallow piles in a large metal roasting pan and top each pile with a sprig of thyme and two unpeeled garlic cloves. Set the remaining 4 garlic cloves to one side. Position the chickens, breast side up, on top of each pile of vegetables.
3. Squeeze the lemons into a small bowl (don’t throw away the squeezed-out halves) and stir in the paprika, turmeric and olive oil. Rub this mixture all over the tops and sides of the chickens, massaging it well into the skin.
4. Sprinkle a little salt and black pepper over the squeezed-out lemon halves and push them deep into the cavities of the chickens, along with the rosemary sprigs and the remaining 4 cloves of garlic (smash these lightly with the blade of a knife first).
5. Season the chicken skin with salt and pepper. Now, using lengths of kitchen string or raffia, firmly tie together the ends of the drumsticks, as shown in the picture.
6. Roast the chickens at 190ºC for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the skin over the breasts is golden brown. Now loosely cover the breasts with a rectangle of tin foil,  cut to size, and roast for a further 35 to 45 minutes, or until they are done. (There are various ways to check whether a chicken is cooked through to the bone. The easiest is to thrust the tip of a sharp knife into the deepest part of the thigh joint: if the juices are clear, without a trace of blood, and there is no sign of pinkness close to the bone, the chicken is done.  Alternatively: grasp the end of the drumstick and give it a good wiggle. If the drumstick moves independently of the chicken, and feels loose, your bird is done.)
7. Remove the chickens from the oven and place them on a platter. Cover loosely with a large rectangle of tin foil, and allow to rest, on the counter, for no less than 20 minutes – preferably up to 35.
8. In the meantime, make the gravy. Place the roasting pan on the hob, turn on the heat and sprinkle the flour all over the pan. Cook over a medium-low heat for a minute or two, stirring constantly, until the flour turns a rich golden brown. Pour in the white wine, all at once, and stir quickly and energetically with a wire whisk to loosen any sediment on the bottom of the pan. If the gravy seems too thick, thin it down with water or chicken stock.
9. Add any liquid that has collected under the rested chickens, and simmer the gravy for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent lumps forming. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a warm gravy boat, pressing down hard on the vegetables with the back of a large spoon to extract all the juices.
10. Carve the chickens, arrange the pieces on a warmed platter and serve with the gravy and roast potatoes, plus vegetables of your choice.

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