There hasn’t been a recipe from Ireland yet, so let’s change that. Dublin Coddle is a traditional Irish dish made with root vegetables, bacon, and sausages, slowly cooked (“to coddle” means “to simmer gently”) in broth or water. It’s a comfort food – simple, nutritious, and filling.
The Great Famine (Irish: An Gorta Mór) was one of the most devastating disasters in Irish history, occurring between 1845 and 1852. Triggered by potato blight (Phytophthora infestans), which destroyed the main food source of the poor population, around 1 million people died – over 10% of the population! Another 1 – 2 million emigrated, mainly to America and Canada.
While rural families had no potatoes left, urban households tried to make do with what little was still available. Coddle was perfect for turning all kinds of leftovers into a meal without having to spend much time actually cooking. The dish could be prepared in the evening and left in the oven overnight.
Nowadays, Dublin coddle can be found on the menu of many Dublin pubs – and it contains potatoes. The dish always has its typical characteristics, but the preparations differ. We cook coddle with dark beer, which not only gives the dish a darker colour, but also a special flavour profile.
In addition to potatoes, carrots and leeks, we use onions and garlic. Bay leaves and thyme serve as aromatics. Beer and water (or broth for even more flavour) are the necessary liquids.
And a Dublin coddle comes with bacon and sausages.
If this appeals to you but you would prefer it without meat, you could consider this recipe. It also works with dark beer.
The sausages are ‘Irish bangers,’ which are similar to English bangers. Get raw pork sausages (i.e. not cooked or smoked) to get as close to the original as possible. This is no problem here in Germany. The bacon used in Ireland is called ‘rashers’ and differs from ‘bacon’, the thinly sliced pork belly. Get some pork belly, but in one piece. Then remove the skin and cut thick slices (3 mm) and then strips of the same thickness.
The sausages are browned on both sides in a little neutral vegetable oil over medium heat. It is best to prick them several times on all sides with the tip of a knife beforehand to prevent them from bursting. This also helps them to impart their flavour to the stew at the end.
Set the sausages aside and fry the bacon in the same pan. Medium heat (and therefore more time) is still the best option, as the fat should be rendered and roasted aromas should develop at the bottom of the pan. When the fat has become translucent, add roughly chopped onion.
Once the onions are translucent, add chopped garlic. Adding it now prevents it from burning, which would make it bitter.
The garlic begins to release its aroma after just 1 minute, then the leek follows. You can read about the best way to clean and cut it here.
Now pour in dark beer – this could be a stout, for example, although here in Bavaria we have a wide selection to choose from. Add bay leaves and thyme. Stir the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon until all the browned bits have dissolved and been absorbed into the liquid. The beer adds sweetness and bitter aromas, as well as the taste of malt. This is simmered down to about a third, at which point the alcohol has evaporated.
Then add water, but we prefer broth, as it contributes even more flavour. Vegetable broth works best for us. Now add potato and carrots, peeled of course and cut into large pieces that still fit on a spoon. The previously fried sausages are also added to the broth. Now season to taste with salt and pepper from the mill.
The liquid should no longer boil vigorously, but should be kept just below boiling point. This can be done on the hob or in the oven. And it works with or without a lid.
Without a lid, the liquid evaporates and the broth reduces, intensifying its flavour. With a lid, however, the volume of liquid remains almost the same.
If you are in a hurry, you need a higher temperature. Then you have to cook without a lid, because there is less time to extract the flavour from the ingredients and allow it to infuse into the liquid. The potatoes and carrots will be cooked after 30 minutes at the latest.
But it is better to put a lid on and turn the stove down to the lowest setting – this way, you can simmer the dish for hours while it gets better and better. We would also recommend not closing the lid completely, but leaving a small gap open. This allows the liquid to reduce slowly.
Alternatively, place the pot – again with the lid not completely closed – in the oven at 150 °C. You can safely leave it there for hours.
Enjoy.
And may the taste be with you.
Ingredients (for 4 people):
2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil
4 pork sausages (raw, not cooked and not smoked)
180 g bacon
2 large onions, roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 thick leek
1 – 2 bay leaves
3 – 4 sprigs of thyme
300 ml dark beer (drink the rest while cooking)
1 l vegetable stock (or chicken stock or water)
600 g waxy potatoes
600 g carrots (or adjust the ratio of potatoes to carrots to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Fresh parsley (for garnish)
