Entree: Ireland – Cork & Munster – Coddle
Serving Size: 4
Approximate Time
Prep
25 min
Cook
1 hr
Additional
10 min
Total
1 hr 30 min
Ingredients
- 6 pork sausages, approx. 3 oz (85 g) each
- 6 thick-cut back bacon slices, approx. 1.5 oz (45 g) each
- 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) waxy potatoes (such as Maris Piper), peeled and cut into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) rounds
- 2 large onions, sliced into rings
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
- 2 cups (480 ml) chicken or vegetable stock (or enough to come halfway up the layers)
- 1 cup (240 ml) water, more as needed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp (5 g) dried thyme or 1 tbsp (15 g) fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
1. Preheat a large heavy-bottomed casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and brown the sausages on all sides, about 6–8 minutes; remove and set aside. Lightly brown the bacon slices in the same pot, then remove and set aside.
2. Turn the heat to low and arrange a layer of half the potato rounds across the bottom of the pot, season lightly with salt and pepper, and scatter half the sliced onions over the potatoes.
3. Slice the browned sausages into 1–1.5 in (2.5–4 cm) pieces if desired (or leave whole) and chop the bacon into large pieces. Layer half the sausage and bacon over the onions, then repeat with the remaining potatoes, onions, and meat to form stacked layers.
4. Tuck in the bay leaf and sprinkle the thyme over the layers. Pour the stock and 1 cup (240 ml) water into the pot so it comes about halfway up the ingredients; adjust liquid as needed.
5. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook very gently for 45–60 minutes until potatoes are tender and flavors have melded, checking once to ensure liquid hasn’t reduced too far and adding more water if necessary.
6. Uncover for the last 10 minutes to thicken the cooking juices slightly, then taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
7. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the coddle and serve hot with soda bread or buttered brown bread alongside.
