Michelin Lamb Shank at Home

Make the brine: bring 1 litre of the water and all the salt to the boil in a large saucepan, stirring until the salt is fully dissolved.

Add the thyme sprigs, rosemary sprigs, bay leaves, and black peppercorns to the hot water. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 litres of cold water. Leave to cool to room temperature.

Trim the thin ends from each lamb shank, removing excess fat and sinew. Once the brine is at room temperature, submerge the lamb shanks in the brine, cover, and refrigerate for 12–24 hours.

Remove the lamb shanks from the brine and pat them thoroughly dry with kitchen paper. Discard the brine.

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Place the lamb bones on a roasting tray and roast for 20–25 minutes until deep golden brown. Set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches if needed, sear the lamb shanks on all sides until deeply browned (about 3–4 minutes per side). Transfer to a plate.

In the same frying pan, add the roughly chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté over medium heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to caramelize. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute.

Transfer the seared lamb shanks to your slow cooker. Add the roasted bones, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and the sautéed mirepoix. Pour in the 1.5 litres of chicken stock. Nestle the anchovies amongst the ingredients.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on Low for 7 hours or High for 4 hours, until the lamb is completely tender and the meat pulls easily from the bone.

During the final 30 minutes of cooking, add the 2 fresh rosemary sprigs to the slow cooker.

Carefully remove the cooked lamb shanks from the slow cooker and set aside on a warm plate, loosely covered with foil.

Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve into a large saucepan, pressing gently on the solids to extract all the flavour. Discard the solids. You should have roughly 1 litre of stock; skim off excess fat from the surface.

Make the sauce: melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the finely sliced shallots and cook gently for 3–4 minutes until softened but not coloured.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar, then add the Madeira and white wine. Bring to a simmer and reduce until the volume is roughly halved (about 10 minutes). This concentrates the flavours.

Pour the 1 litre of strained lamb stock into the pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering for 15–20 minutes, skimming off any impurities that rise to the surface, until the sauce is silky and well-flavoured.

Whisk the 40g of lamb fat into the sauce just before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning with freshly cracked black pepper.

Finish the sauce by stirring in the picked rosemary and thyme leaves. Season to taste with more black pepper if needed.

Meanwhile, prepare the glazed carrots: melt the 60g of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the trimmed carrots and star anise, and sauté for 8–10 minutes until the carrots are tender and golden brown, shaking the pan occasionally to coat them with the butter.

Stir the Worcestershire sauce into the glazed carrots and toss to combine.

To plate, place a lamb shank in the centre of each serving bowl or plate. Spoon the rich sauce around it and arrange the glazed carrots alongside. Serve immediately whilst hot.