Preheat the oven to 140C or gas mark 2.

Place the beef in a large bowl and sprinkle with 20g of flour and season with salt and pepper, toss to coat. Place a heavy bottomed saucepan or casserole dish over a medium heat and melt 40g of butter. Add all of the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned. Transfer the beef to a bowl.

Stir in the shallots and cook for 5 minutes. Turn up the heat to get the shallots golden brown. Remove the shallots and add to the same bowl as the beef.

Add another 50g of butter and then the chestnut mushrooms and garlic to the casserole dish and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add all the browned ingredients back into the casserole dish.

Pour in the Irish stout, beef stock, fresh thyme and the grated chocolate, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat. Place the casserole dish into the preheated oven and cook for about 1½ - 2 hours, or until the beef is tender. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, to make the potato dumplings, place the peeled potatoes in a saucepan and fill halfway with water, cover and bring to the boil and reduce to simmer and cook for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes are completely cooked.

Drain the potatoes, season with sea salt and pepper, and add in the butter and finely chopped herbs and mash well. Next stir in the flour and combine. Flour your hands and mould the potato and herb mixture into dumplings that are just a bit smaller than a tennis ball. You should be able to make about six.

Before you add the dumplings to the stew, make a roux by melting the 50g butter, and then stir in 50g of flour. Strain all the liquid from the casserole into the roux and slowly whisk until the sauce is thick and smooth. Then pour the sauce back over the casserole.

Next, add the herby potato dumplings to the top of the stew so it’s completely covered and put back in the oven uncovered for 35 mins.