- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 10 shallots, peeled and left whole
- 3 bay leaves
- 350g/¾lb dry-cured bacon lardons
- handful fresh thyme sprigs, on the branch, washed, tied together tightly with string
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped
- 750ml/1¼ pints red wine
- 2.5kg/5½lb chuck steak or braising steak, cut into 4cm/1½in cubes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 litre/1¾ pints beef stock
- 2 x 415g/14½oz cans beef consommé
- 1kg/1¾ lbs floury potatoes, such as King Edward or Maris Piper, peeled and cut into quarters
- 40g/1½oz butter
- 150ml/5fl oz milk
- 1 x 350g/12½oz head spring greens, leaves only
- pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 spring onions, trimmed, sliced
- 30g/1oz chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
- Heat the oil in a large roasting tray over a medium heat. Add the shallots, bay leaves, bacon lardons, thyme and garlic, and fry gently for 10-15 minutes, or until the shallots have softened and are translucent and the bacon lardons are beginning to brown and stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the wine and scrape the sediment from the bottom of the roasting tray using a wooden spoon. Bring the wine to a simmer and continue to simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the volume of liquid has reduced.
- Season the cubed meat, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Lay the seasoned meat on top of the shallots, lardons and wine mixture without mixing it. Pour over the stock and consommé so that the meat is all well covered.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover the tray with foil and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2½-3½ hours. Test the meat for tenderness after 1½ hours by squeezing a piece between your thumb and forefinger. If it gives, remove the foil covering and continue to cook the beef daube, uncovered, for the remaining cooking time, until the sauce has thickened and the beef is tender.
- Meanwhile, thirty minutes before serving, bring the potatoes to the boil in a pan of salted water. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until tender, then drain well.
- Return the cooked potatoes to the pan, add the butter and milk and return the pan to the heat. Mash until smooth, then season, to taste, with salt, freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg.
- Bring another pan of water to the boil, then add the spring greens leaves and a pinch of salt. Boil for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until just tender, then drain well.
- When the beef is really tender and the sauce has thickened, remove the beef daube from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
- Just before serving, stir the cooked spring greens and chopped spring onions into the mashed potato and stir until well combined.
- To serve, spoon some of the colcannon mash into the centre of each of four serving plates. Spoon over the beef daube, in its sauce. Garnish with the chopped parsley.