Dublin Coddle
Dublin Coddle is a rich stew made with whatever leftovers were left on Thursday. The myth says Friday was Fast day, so catholics would make a stew with any leftover meat on Thursday. Whether that is true or not, I do believe this simple stew will give you the best of both, simplicity and taste.
More traditional versions of coddle replace the potato layer with barley, but by large the potato version is more popular.
Ingredients
- 6 pork sausages cut into 5 cm pieces
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 2 large onions sliced
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 kg (about 8 large) potatoes sliced lengthwise
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 tbs cooking oil
- 200 gr bacon minced
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- A sprig of parsley for garnish
Preparation
Set your trusty stew pot on the stove and prepare your ingredients before you start cooking. You will require a very heavy lid so to steam any part of the stew that is not submerged in the broth.
Set the heat to medium and add the butter, when it melts and stops frothing add the pork sausages and brown them lightly. Next remove the pork and add your onions, stirring occasionally to avoid burning them. Before the onions are cooked remove them from the pot and set them aside.
Scrape any bits that might layer the bottom of the pot and add the tablespoon of cooking oil. Next apply a layer of potato slices stying to cover as much as possible. Then spread layer of carrots, then a layer with sausage, then the onion, and finally the potatoes again with a pinch of salt and some black pepper. Continue repeating the layers and the seasoning in the same order until you run out of ingredients.
Finally add the broth to the pot slowly and lifting it give it a small wiggle to release any air bubbles, you can add a bit of water if you would like a soupier end result.
Put it on the stove and wait for it to boil. Then set it to low for at least 45 minutes, and do not stir it. I repeat DO NOT STIR. You will know its ready when the top potato layer is cooked. Serve garnished with the chopped parsley.
This stew will serve 4 hungry stew lovers.