Lay the lamb on your working surface flat, with the fat side down, and pat dry. Rub ½ of the salt on the inside, then roll up tight (cut off any thick fat areas for a less gamey taste) and tie with kitchen twine with 1-2 inch gaps between. Pat dry the outside and rub with the remaining salt. Transfer to a baking sheet or plate and place in the fridge, uncovered.

About 30-60 minutes (depending on size) before cooking, remove from the fridge to allow the meat to come to room temperature (I did 60 minutes for a 5lb roast). You can transfer the large roast to your baking dish or roasting pan now

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 325F keeping the rack in the middle of the oven.

Melt butter in a small saucepan, add garlic, dried thyme and ground black pepper. Cook for about a minute until fragrant. Set aside.

If cooking on a roasting pan without potatoes, place the roast on the top rack and add 1 ½ cups water to the bottom of the pan (this helps the fat to not burn and ensures it does not dry out).

If adding potatoes, place in a casserole dish and drizzle in oil and salt.

Place roast on top of potatoes and lightly baste the meat with your prepared butter mixture, then zest a lemon overtop.

For medium rare, remove and tent the roast with aluminum foil when the center reaches 115F, then immediately change the oven temperature to 450F. Once preheated, add the roast back in the hot oven and cook for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and rest again, tented until about 132F.

Transfer to a cutting board and slice and serve with a sharp knife as desired.