Roasted lamb with herb crust and rosemary potatoes

Cut lamb in half widthwise to form 2 even-sized pieces. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. When pan is very hot, add lamb, fat-side down, and cook for 1 minute or until fat renders . Reduce heat to medium and cook for a further 2 minutes. Turn lamb over and cook for 3 minutes. Place lamb, fat-side up, in a large roasting pan.

Preheat oven to 200C. To make crust, process 1 clove crushed garlic, pecorino, breadcrumbs, butter, parsley, mint and bay leaves until finely chopped. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Using your hands, pat mixture over lamb.

Toss potatoes with oil, rosemary and remaining 8 unpeeled cloves of garlic in a bowl. Season well with salt and pepper, then place around lamb in pan.

Cover pan loosely with foil and roast for 40 minutes. Remove foil and cook for a further 5 minutes or until herb crust is lightly golden and meat is medium-rare or cooked to your liking. Transfer lamb to a plate and rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, increase oven to 250C fan-forced. Toss potatoes in pan juices, spread over pan, then roast for a further 15 minutes or until dark golden.

To make fennel salsa, combine all ingredients in a bowl and season.

Carve lamb into thick slices and serve with rosemary potatoes and fennel salsa.