INGREDIENTS
For the lamb preparation:
2 lamb shanks
12 small rosemary sprigs
12 slivers garlic
6 tinned anchovies
Salt and ground black pepper
For the braising preparation:
57 g (2 oz) duck fat, butter or dripping
3 tbsp flour
2 carrots roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
1 head garlic, broken up
½ onion, diced
114g (4 oz) streaky bacon lardons, blanched
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
½ bottle red wine
600 ml (1 pt) lamb stock
For the beans:
1 can flageolet beans, drained
1 tbsp chopped black olives (optional)
1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
4 tbsp chopped roasted red peppers (tinned is fine)
Pinch salt
Pinch ground black pepper
1 tbsp rosemary
To serve:
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
Recipe continues
METHOD
Remove majority of fat from the shanks. Make 3 long incisions in each joint and insert in each an anchovy wrapped around a 'skewer' of rosemary and garlic. Season the meat.
Preheat the oven to 140-150ºC/275-300ºF/Gas Mark 1-2. Brown the joints all over in a little duck fat, then remove them from the pan. Put the bacon lardons, carrots, celery, leek, onion, garlic and herbs in the pan. Stir through the flour. Return the lamb to the pot with a good glug of red wine plus the stock. Cover and cook in a slow oven for 3 to 4 hours.
When the lamb has finished cooking, carefully remove the two joints to a casserole dish and keep warm. Strain the sauce off into a bowl and discard the veg that remains. Return the sauce to the pan, add the roast peppers, can of flageolet beans, parsley, black olives (optional), rosemary and salt and pepper, and stir it all together and warm through.
Spoon the bean mixture into two bowls, place a lamb shank on each. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and serve.