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1
Preheat the oven to 400.
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2
Rub 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil all over the lamb and season with salt and pepper.
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3
In a medium roasting pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
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4
Add the onions, carrots, celery, leek, thyme, parsley sprigs, head of garlic and bay leaf.
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5
Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.
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6
Add the water and wine and bring to a boil.
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7
Set the lamb on the vegetables, fat side up, and put the roasting pan in the oven.
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8
Reduce the oven temperature to 325 and roast the lamb for about 3 hours, turning it twice to brown the exposed sides.
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9
The lamb should be very tender.
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10
Transfer the lamb to a carving board, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
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11
Strain the pan juices into a medium saucepan, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
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12
Skim the fat from the surface and boil the juices over high heat until reduced by half, about 8 minutes.
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13
Season with salt and pepper.
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14
Finely chop the lemon zest with the chopped parsley and the garlic clove, then transfer this gremolata to a small bowl.
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15
Thickly slice the lamb and transfer it to a platter.
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16
Sprinkle the gremolata over the lamb and serve with the pan juices.
