Dublin Coddle

About This Recipe

Dublin coddle is a dish unique to the Irish capital, associated with working-class Dublin life for centuries. Jonathan Swift, the 18th-century author of Gulliver's Travels, is said to have been fond of it, and it has graced Dublin tables continuously ever since. Unlike an Irish stew, coddle is not browned — everything is layered raw and simmered gently, producing a pale, flavoursome broth. Traditional coddle uses pork sausages, streaky bacon rashers, potatoes, and onion. It is humble, filling, and extraordinarily good eaten on a cold evening with a thick slice of soda bread and a pint of Guinness.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8 largegood-quality pork sausages
• 200 gstreaky bacon rashers, cut into large pieces
• 800 gfloury potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced
• 2 largeonions, sliced into half-moons
• 2 clovesgarlic, sliced
• 500 mlham or chicken stock
• 3 sprigsfresh thyme
• 2 bay leavesbay leaves
• 3 tbspfresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven

   Preheat your oven to 160°C (140°C fan / 325°F). Coddle is ideally cooked in the oven for gentle, even heat, though the stovetop works too.

2. 2

   Layer the ingredients

   In a large, heavy casserole dish with a lid, layer the sliced potatoes on the bottom. Top with sliced onions and garlic. Lay the bacon pieces over the onions. Nestle the sausages on top.

3. 3

   Add stock and herbs

   Pour the stock over everything. Tuck in the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Season with black pepper (the bacon and sausages provide enough salt).

4. 4

   Slow cook

   Cover tightly with the lid and cook in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. The liquid should be at a barely-there simmer — adjust oven temperature if needed.

5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Discard the thyme and bay leaves. The potatoes should be completely tender and beginning to break down into the broth. Scatter parsley over the top and bring to the table in the pot.

Variations

• •

  Some recipes add a bottle of stout for a darker, more robust broth.

• •

  Pearl barley can be added for extra body and texture.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a little stock or water if the broth has been absorbed.

Frequently Asked Questions