Stew with Meat and Potatoes

Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. It will shrink when cooked, so do not cut them too small. Put the meat and 1 liter of water in the pot. Start the program and let the water come to a boil. Let the meat simmer for 1-2 minutes. This removes any impurities from the meat which would otherwise make the sauce cloudy. Drain and discard the cooking water. Rinse the meat in clean water to wash away any remaining impurities.

Peel the onions and cut them into rough chunks. Add butter and the onions to the pot. Fry until the onions are translucent. They should not gain any color.

When the onions are clear, add ½ liter of water, the stock cube, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns. Let it simmer for 1 hour.

Peel half of the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the pot and let it simmer. The idea behind dividing the potatoes and adding them in two batches is that one portion should be like mash, thickening the sauce. So, it needs to cook for a bit longer. The other portion should be tender but keep its shape.

Mash the potatoes that have simmered in the stew, so they can thicken the sauce. Peel the remaining potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the pot and let it simmer until they are tender. Serve the stew topped with finely chopped chives.