Ingredients

• 3kg piece boneless pork shoulder, skin scored at 1cm intervals
• 12 bay leaves
• 12 cloves garlic
• 2 lemons, zested
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 225ml olive oil
• 2kg skinny orange sweet potatoes (kumara), scrubbed
• 12 eschalots, unpeeled
• 4 cobs corn, husks removed, quartered

Pepita sauce

• 1/2 slice day-old bread
• 100g pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), roasted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1/4 long red chilli, seeded
• 1 1/2 cups flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 cup coriander leaves
• 250ml (1 cup) olive oil
• 125ml (1/2 cup) lemon juice

Method

• Step 1 To marinate pork, trim excess fat from pork flesh, then prick flesh all over with a fork. Process 6 bay leaves, garlic, lemon zest, chilli flakes and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Add 125ml (1/2 cup) oil and process until combined. Pour marinade into a roasting pan, then add the pork, skin-side up, ensuring skin remains dry. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 3 hours or overnight to dry out skin.
• Step 2 Preheat oven to 190C. Rub 2 teaspoons salt into pork skin. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add pork, skin-side down, and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low–medium and cook for a further 10 minutes or until skin is light golden and crisp.
• Step 3 Return pork, skin-side up, to pan with marinade and roast on the top shelf of the oven for 15 minutes.
• Step 4 Meanwhile, cut sweet potatoes and eschalots in half lengthwise, then place in a large bowl. Add corn, remaining 6 bay leaves and 80ml (1/3 cup) oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Transfer to a roasting pan.
• Step 5 Swap pork to the bottom shelf of the oven and place the vegetables on the top shelf. Roast for 45 minutes or until pork is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Remove pork from the oven and rest, loosely covered, for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 50C and leave vegetables to keep warm.
• Step 6 Meanwhile, to make pepita sauce, place bread in a bowl filled with water for 10 seconds. Squeeze to remove excess moisture. Process pepitas, bread, cumin, garlic, chilli, herbs and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely chopped. With the motor running, gradually add oil and process until combined.
• Step 7 Stir lemon juice into pepita sauce. Thin with a little water if desired. Makes 2 cups.
• Step 8 Carve pork into slices along score marks and serve with the roasted vegetables and pepita sauce.