A large casserole and a food processor are needed.

Oven Temperatures:

• Gas mark 1-2, conventional oven 140-150° C, fan oven 130-140° C.

Ingredients:

• 4 lamb shanks.
• 6 canned anchovies.
• 12 small rosemary sprigs.
• 12 slivers of garlic.
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Ingredients for braising:

• Butter or dripping.
• 4 carrots, roughly chopped.
• 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped.
• 2 leeks, roughly chopped.
• 2 onions, roughly chopped.
• 2 heads of garlic, broken up.
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs.
• 2 fresh bay leaves.
• 1 bottle of red wine.
• About 300ml  / 1/2 pint of chicken or lamb stock, or water.

Ingredients for butterbean mixture:

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. 
• 225g / 8oz streak bacon lardons (small cubes), blanched.
• 1 carrot, finely diced.
• 1 celery stick, finely diced.
• 1 onion stick, finely diced.
• 12 garlic cloves, peeled but left whole. 
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs.
• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs, chopped. 
• 8 tomatoes, skinned and chopped or 1 can of chopped tomatoes, drained
• 400g / 14oz can of butterbeans, drained.

To serve:

• 2.5cm / 1 inch rounds of French bread. 

1. Trim most of the fat from the lamb shanks. Make  three deep incisions in each one and insert in each, half an anchovy wrapped with a sprig of rosemary and a sliver of garlic.
2. Season the meat.
3. Heat the butter or dripping in a large casserole, add the lamb shanks and fry until browned all over.
4. Remove the meat from the pan and put to one side. Add the carrot, celery, leeks, onions, garlic and herbs. Cook over a high heat until the vegetables are brown.
5. Pour in the red wine, scraping up the residue from the pan to deglaze.
6. Add the stock or the water.
7. Place the lamb shanks on top of the vegetables, then cover and cook in a pre-heated oven, for 2-2 1/2 hours until the meat is tender. Turn the joints over in the sauce occasionally, adding a little water or stock if necessary.

To make the butterbean mixture:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the bacon in it.
2. Reduce the heat and add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic. Cook for about 8 minutes unitl softened. Stir in the thyme, rosemary, tomatoes and butterbeans, then set aside.
3. When the lamb has finished cooking, remove the meat from the casserole and keep warm in a separate casserole. Whizz the residue of ingredients in a blender or a food processor until smooth.
4. Pass the sauce through a sieve on to the bean mixture and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Season to taste, then pour the mixture over the lamb and heat through in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with toasted French bread.