You'll never guess the secret ingredient in this rich and delicious one-pot dish – it's the most comforting main for fall entertaining and tastes even better the next day

We asked chef and cookbook author Clodagh McKenna to share some of her favorite fall recipes with us and this slow cooked beouf bourgignon from her book Clodagh's Happy Cooking coudln't feel more indulgent and warming for this time of year. It calls for shallots, pancetta, a glug of full-bodied red wine, and – Clodagh's secret ingredient – some good quality dark chocolate, which she says 'brings a smokiness and a beautiful velvet texture'.

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 6 tablespoons (about 2.8 oz or 80 g) unsalted butter
• 2 ¼ pounds (1 kg) diced stewing beef
• 5 ounces (150 g) smoked pancetta or bacon lardons
• 16 shallots, peeled
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole (these silicone garlic peelers from Amazon will make the job much easier)
• 10 ½ ounces (about 3 cups / 300 g) chestnut mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 (750 ml) bottle of full-bodied red wine (like Malbec or Shiraz)
• 1 ⅔ cups (400 ml) beef stock or broth
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ¾ ounces (50 g / about 1 ½ oz) good-quality dark chocolate (around 70% cocoa)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Clodagh McKenna's method

• Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C) convection or 265°F (130°C) conventional.
• Place a large, oven-safe Dutch oven or casserole dish (this 6-quart Lodge Dutch Oven is currently on sale and perfect for the job) over medium heat and add half the butter (about 3 tablespoons). Once melted, turn the heat to high, add the beef, and brown on all sides. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer the beef to a bowl and set aside.
• Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the pot, then stir in the pancetta. Cook until crisp.
• Add the shallots and whole garlic cloves and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant.
• Stir in the sliced mushrooms and tomato paste and cook for another 3 minutes.
• Return the beef to the pot. Pour in the bottle of red wine and beef stock, then add the rosemary and bay leaf.
• Cover the pot and place it in the preheated oven. Cook for 3 to 4 hours, until the beef is very tender.
• Thirty minutes before the end of cooking, stir in the dark chocolate pieces. This will create a rich, velvety sauce with a subtle smoky flavor.
• Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.
• Serve hot with buttery mashed potatoes, a green salad, and a jar of Dijon mustard on the side.

For a seasonal side to this indulgent dish, how about some silky rainbow chard, which will add color and flavor? Our braised chard recipe with chilli and garlic makes an ideal accompaniment.