The Authentic Dublin Coddle Recipe is the beloved Irish take on a rich stew. Named from the French verb “caudle,” or to gently boil, this recipe was originally invented as a resourceful way of feeding many when food scarcity was common. The dish that we know today is clearly meat-heavy, a far cry from earlier versions with just potatoes, vegetables, and pork scraps. Coddles can take many shapes because each cook can add whatever leftovers they have at hand, but in general potatoes and other root vegetables, bacon, sausages, and onions make the base of this delicious preparation.
Considered comfort food of the highest degree, this hearty, nutritious dish is a tasty one-pot meal that can be made ahead of time and then left in a slightly warmed oven until it’s time to eat. Usually served with bread, the coddle meal is so filling that there is no need to make other dishes to accompany it—just fresh soda bread slices, perfect to soak up the juices. Sometimes made with Guinness beer to add a deep earthy flavor and rich texture, my version is made with chicken stock (if you use wheat-free stock and sausages, the dish becomes a naturally gluten-free option).
Authentic Dublin Coddle Recipe
2.5 hours · Serves 4
A traditional Irish casserole with potatoes, sausage and bacon slow cooked to perfection!
9 ingredients
12 oz Bacon, thick-cut
6 Bratwurst sausages
1/4 cup Parsley, fresh
2 1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes
1 14 ounce can Chicken broth
1 Black pepper, Fresh ground
2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1 cup Beer
2 Large white onions (peeled and sliced into ½” rings)
Instructions
Stovetop Method:
In 6 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat cook bacon pieces until crisp. Remove bacon pieces and set aside on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Discard excess bacon grease from pot and leave behind enough grease to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the sausage to the pot and let them brown on all side for 2-3 mins per side. Remove the sausage and set aside in a plate.
Note: Potatoes and carrots keep their shape better during cooking if they are thickly sliced by at least ½” thickness. Any thinner, then you run the risk of the vegetables mushing up.
Add the onion slices and carrot chunks and sauté in the bacon and sausage grease until softened, add in the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds or until fragrant. Pour in 1 cup of hard apple cider and let the onion mixture come to a boil. Scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot to deglaze. Remove the onion mixture and set aside on a plate. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat.
Add a layer of sliced potatoes to the bottom of the pot and sprinkle with some black pepper, parsley and thyme.
Next add a layer of the onion mixture, then sprinkle a layer of cooked bacon pieces. Repeat with another layer of sliced potatoes, seasonings, onion mixture and bacon. Place the sausage on the very top.
Pour in the chicken stock and apple cider (just enough until the vegetables are covered with liquid). Let the liquid come to a boil and cover with a lid, then turn the heat down to medium low. Let simmer on the stove for 1 ½ hours.
Serve in bowls and enjoy with some bread to sop up the delicious juices.
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Instructions are provided to cook on the stove top, oven, slow cooker or Instant Pot pressure cooker. I’ll have to say out of the 4 cooking options, simmering low and slow on the stovetop or baking in the oven produced the best melded flavors from all the ingredients. I could really taste more of an apple flavor in the carrots and potatoes when using the cider.
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