PREPARATION AND COOKING: Adjust the oven rack to the low position and heat the oven to 325F. Pat the lamb shanks dry with paper towels and sprinkle them with 1 teaspoon sait and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Break the garlic into cloves, but do not peel them. Heat the olive oil in a 14- by 11-inch nonreactive roasting pan over 2 burners. Sear the lamb shanks over high heat until they brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic cloves, thyme, wine, and chicken stock, and bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover and transfer the pan to the oven. Braise until the shanks are tender, turning them every 30 minutes, about 2 hours. Remove the shanks from the roasting pan; cover and keep warm. Remove the garlic cloves with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, or to a food mill fitted with a fine disk; puree. If using the food processor, force the puree through a fine sieve to remove the skins. Skim the pan juices well, then stir in the garlic puree. Adjust seasoning. (Can cool lamb in sauce, cover, and set aside for several hours, or refrigerate overnight.) SERVING: If shanks have been set aside or refrigerated, warm in a 325F oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with minced parsley. Formatted for Kitmail 5/98 Posted by JoAnn Pellegrino NOTES : Lamb and garlic have a long shared history, particularly around the Mediterranean. Here, a whopping four heads, not cloves, of garlic are braised with lamb shanks for a full-flavored stew. For a particularly graceful presentation, ask the butcher to saw each shank crosswise into three pieces. Recipe by: The Best of Cooks Magazine Posted to KitMailbox Digest by J Pellegrino on May 23, 1998