Ingredients
Method
1.Preheat oven to 170°C. Set the rack so there is an even distribution of air circulating around the casserole.
2.Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large casserole. Add onion, carrots and celery, cover with a lid and cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender.
3.Trim excess fat from lamb shanks. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Dust shanks with flour, reserving any remaining flour. Add butter to pan and, when it is sizzling, add as many shanks as will fit. (They will not all fit in to begin with, but as you turn them onto their sides and they shrink a little with browning, you’ll get them all in – alternatively, brown in two lots.) Season with salt and pepper; if using salted stock, go lightly.
4.When vegetables are tender, add rosemary and garlic and cook through for 1 minute. Sprinkle in remaining flour, stir well and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Blend in the wine and continue stirring until it comes to a bubble, then blend in stock.
5.Transfer shanks to casserole once browned (if they are ready before the casserole mixture, simply put them on a plate). Add bayleaves, give everything a good stir around and, as soon as it is bubbling, cover with a lid and transfer casserole to oven.
6.Cook for 3 hours, removing from the oven 2-3 times and stirring things around to make sure the shanks aren’t drying out. If the mixture becomes very thick and sticky, add a little more stock – the aim is to end up with well-coloured, slightly shiny and sticky shanks with a rich thick sauce. Serve on mash, sprinkled with parsley.