Oven-roasted ramp chicken with cardamom

It is green onion and soon will be ramp time. What are ramps, anyway? A wild onion that grows during the Spring and tastes like a 'balanced mixture of onion and garlic'. To say the least, ramps are pungent and more than alone able to hold their own in a recipe.

A very long time ago, Melissa Clark of the New York Times,  published a recipe of ramp chicken. I cannot remember a spring that has gone by since then that I have not made some version of this ramp chicken. Over time, I have, of course, tried to use different kinds of rubs to flavor the chicken. Nothing quite like a bit of cardamom and coarse salt. The brightness of cardamom just adds that whiff of lemon to the ramp's pungency. On a coldish Spring day, this recipe is hard to resist. But here is the BIG cautionary note. You will need a cast iron skillet!

Another few related cautionary notes
If you use the OTG oven, instead of the regular oven, you will need to first find a iron skillet that can fit into the OTG. This can be challenging. For a list of OTG proof material, please consider reading this article.
Make sure your if you are using an old cast iron skillet, the skillet is seasoned.

Ramp chicken
You can follow Clark's recipe as is and the result is excellent. But if you want a hint of the orient in the recipe, try my modifications. You might not be disappointed.

Ingredients (Will feed 4 people)
3-4 lb whole chicken, patted dry
2 tbsf coarse salt
1 tbsf cardamom powder, freshly ground is good but dry roasted and freshly ground just lifts the dish to
1/2 tsp of black pepper, freshly ground is better
One and a half bunch of ramps
2 tbsf olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
2 lemons quartered

Instructions
Step 1: Mix the salt, pepper and the cardamon power. Rub the chicken inside out with this rub. Leave aside till you heat the oven or the OTG oven. If you are using the OTG oven, cut the chicken into 8 large pieces before rubbing the salt mixture (this will allow you to fit the chicken in the OTG, which are usually smaller in size).

Step 2: If you are using the oven, you will need a cast iron skillet. Place the skillet inside the oven. Heat the oven to 500F for 45 min. If you are using an OTG oven, you can put in a small skillet in the oven, but you may have to look for it.

Step 3: Prepare the ramps or green onions. Wash. Dry. Trim any roots, tear the leaves and halve any large bulbs.

Step 4: Splay the chicken. Score the skin. place the lemon wedges inside the chicken

Step 5: Carefully transfer the chicken to the hot skillet. Press the chicken down. Drizzle with olive oil. Slide the skillet into the oven. Roast for 30 min

Step 6: Add the ramps (or green onion) and garlic into the hot skillet. Toss, carefully, with pan juices. Close the oven door again and continue roasting for 20 min more. 

Step 7: Make sure that the chicken is fully cooked (no pink). Take out of the oven. Rest for 5-10 min.

Step 8: Carve and serve.