Dublin Coddle - Old-School Comfort Food For An Autumn Evening

Coddle is the ultimate traditional Dublin dish - but few of us make it these days. Which is a pity, because as this recipe from The Irish Countrywomen’s Association Cookbook shows, it’s a lovely warming treat for cold autumn evenings. This recipe comes from Maureen Butler, who may be now based in Meath, but is a Dubliner at heart.

INGREDIENTS

2KG potatoes, peeled
500ml boiled water
1 ham, chicken or beef stock cube (optional)
450g good quality pork sausages
450g thick cut bacon
2 large onions, sliced
1 tbl finely chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 150 C/300 F/Gas 2

2. Cut larger potatoes into three or four pieces, leaving smaller ones whole so they will cook evenly. Dissolve the stock cube in the boiled water, if using.

3. Grill the sausages and bacon long enough to colour them but take care not to dry them out. Drain on paper towels and chop the bacon into 2/5cm pieces. You can chop the sausages into bite-sized pieces, though some prefer to leave them whole.

4. In a large oven proof casserole dish with a tight lid, layer onions, sausages and potatoes, seasoning each layer liberally with pepper and parsely. Continue until the ingredients are used up and pour the hot water or bouillon mixture over the top.

5. On the stove, bring the liquid to a boil, immediately reduce heat and cover pot. You may like to put a layer of foil under the pot lid to help seal it.

6. Place the covered pot int the preheated oven and cook for at least three hours (up to 4 or 5 hours will not hurt it). After two hours, check liquid levels and add more water if necessary. There should be about an inch of liquid in the bottom of the pot at all times.

7. Serve hot with fresh soda bread to mop up the lovely gravy.