Traditional Irish Cooking: Dublin Coddle

Irish stew is perhaps the first main dish that comes to mind when people think of foods from the Emerald Isle, but mutton may be just as expensive or difficult to find in some parts of North America as it was in 18th century urban Ireland. If you are looking for an authentic St. Patrick's Day meal, or maybe wanting to reclaim your family roots back in Ireland, try a frugal and simple Dublin coddle.

Coddle refers to a cooking method that involves cooking food slowly in a small amount of liquid over relatively low heat. This made Irish coddle an ideal food for occasions when meals needed to be prepared ahead of time. A housewife might serve the kids their coddle and get them off to bed, leaving the pot cooking over a low fire until her husband came home later in the evening. If your busy family is looking for creative and satisfying ways to eat on a budget, try making up a Dublin coddle. Do the preparation the night before, and fire up your crock pot in the morning so supper will be ready when everyone comes in from work and school. Coddle is a perfect meal for the spouse who works a late shift, too.

Dublin Coddle Recipe
1-1/2 lb (700 g) pork sausage
1-1/2 lb (700 g) ham
2 large onions
2 lbs potatoes
1/2 cup (125 mL) pot barley
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped parsley
4 cups (1 L) ham stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Additional parsley for garnish

Cut sausage and ham into bite size pieces; brown well. Peel onions and potatoes; cut into thick slices. Construct your coddle by putting down layers (ham, sausage, barley, then onion) each topped with salt, pepper, and parsley. Top the whole thing with the potatoes. Slowly pour in the ham stock. The barley should be covered in liquid, but you needn't cover the whole dish with broth. Some folks prefer for their potatoes not to fall apart, which is why I chose to use them for the top layer. They will steam slowly, or coddle, rather than boiling.

Put the lid in place and turn on the crock pot. Coddle should simmer just below the boiling point. If you find your liquid is boiling, reduce the heat. Check the liquid occasionally: you should have about 1 inch (2.5 cm) at the bottom of your crock pot at all times. You can replace liquid that evaporates with water, stock, apple cider or stout. Cook about 7-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high. Garnish with fresh parsley, and serve with Irish soda bread and a pint of Guinness. Yields about 6 portions.

Variations on Irish Coddle
Add carrots and parsnips, or green peas to your coddle. You can also add about ½ cup (125 mL) light cream to the cooking liquid. This will allow you to omit the barley and still have a good gravy, rather than a thin broth. If you are not fond of overly salty foods, omit the salt between layers. Herbs like rosemary or thyme are used in some Dublin coddle recipes, and will help replace the salt.

If you don't have a crock pot or slow cooker, you can cook your coddle in a covered cast iron or other heavy pot over low heat on the stove top, about 5-6 hours. Alternatively, make your Irish coddle in the oven. Cover the baking dish and place it on the middle rack in a preheated 300ºF (150ºC) oven. Cook at least 3 hours (4-5 hours won't hurt) checking about every 2 hours to be sure there is still enough cooking liquid. During the last 15-20 minutes, take the lid off and allow the top of the casserole to brown.

Coddle is often made with rashers, a thickly sliced salty bacon with a good bit of fat. This replaces the ham in many traditional Irish recipes. If using American style bacon, try to find a brand that it sliced thickly. Avoid maple bacon for this recipe, to preserve its authentic Irish taste.

Tradition has it that when the church forbid the eating of meat on Fridays, coddle was made on a Thursday to use up the last bits of meat for the week. Feel free to use leftovers from a ham supper, or even extra sausages or bacon from a family brunch. Whenever you boil a ham, reserve the cooking liquid and store it in your freezer. This will provide the broth for your Dublin coddle.

Do you want to reclaim your Scottish heritage through cooking? Check out this exploration of traditional Scottish desserts. Or cook up an authentic Scottish meal using a Burns Night supper menu suitable for any family occasion.

For yet another way to prepare coddle, check out Angie Mohr's sausage coddle recipe.

Sources:
"Favorite Irish late-supper-dish: Dublin coddle." European Cuisines

"Irish coddle history." Our Ireland