I hope you try and like the recipe I’m sharing today: Dublin coddle. It’s traditional Irish comfort food with credit to Dublin. It’s not a fancy stew, either. I gussied mine up with a garnish of parsley and wild green onions for the “green” part of the stew.
Dublin coddle gets its name from the stew’s cooking process. Start the stew on the stovetop and “coddle/cook” it slowly in the oven to finish.
The story goes that back in the day, the stew was left simmering on the stove until the man of the house came home from the pub. Obviously long after the family had gone to bed!
As you celebrate St. Pat’s Day, here’s an old Irish poem and my wish for you and yours:
“May there always be work for your hands to do,
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine warm on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you, and may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.”
Dublin coddle
The recipe called for Irish back bacon and regular large pork sausages. All I had was thick sliced bacon and sweet Italian sausages.
The stew was still yummy. So use whatever bacon and sausages you have.
I used red potatoes and yellow onions. Again, whatever you have on hand works.
A bit more, or less, of any ingredient is OK.
Ingredients
Olive oil
2 nice yellow onions, thinly sliced, 4 cups or so
6 oz. thick or regular bacon, cut into 1/2” pieces (4 thick slices)
1 pound sausage, large links preferred, cut in halves
2 largish carrots, peeled and sliced thin
4 cups potatoes, peeled and sliced about 1/4” thick
Salt and pepper
2 cups beef broth (I used 14.5 oz. can and added water)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425.
Film bottom of large skillet or pan with oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook until slightly wilted, about 5 minutes.
Add bacon and stir.
Add sausages.
Raise heat a bit and cook until sausages start to brown. Careful not to burn onions.
Make 2 layers in oven proof pan or casserole:
Layer onions, bacon and sausage in bottom.
Top with layer of carrots and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
Repeat, then pour broth over all.
Cover and cook in oven 45 minutes. If it needs a bit more liquid, add a little water, not too much.
Reduce heat to 350 and cook another 20-30 minutes, covered or not (I left mine uncovered), until vegetables are cooked and stew is bubbling.
Garnish as desired.
Serve with soda bread.
Serves 4.