How to Make the Perfect Dublin Coddle
Irish · Easy · 90 min · 4 servings
Dublin coddle is a wonderfully unpretentious slow-simmered Irish dish of sausages, bacon, onions, and potatoes that has been feeding the working people of Dublin for hundreds of years and was reportedly a favorite of author Jonathan Swift. Unlike most dishes it is made entirely without browning, everything is layered in a pot and gently simmered until the flavors meld into something deeply satisfying.
Why this recipe works
This Dublin Coddle recipe has been crafted to deliver restaurant-quality results in your home kitchen. At just 90 minutes from start to finish, it fits perfectly into a busy schedule without sacrificing flavor. Each serving comes in at 490 calories with 26g of protein, making it a balanced choice for any meal.
What you will need
This recipe uses 6 simple ingredients that you can find at any grocery store:
- 8 links good quality pork sausages
- 200 g thick-cut back bacon rashers halved
- 4 medium potatoes peeled and thickly sliced
- 2 large onions peeled and thickly sliced
- 600 ml chicken or ham stock
- 3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped to finish
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Prep the Ingredients
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and briefly parboil the sausages and bacon rashers for 3 minutes only. This step helps remove some excess fat and sets the skins of the sausages. Drain, and when cool enough to handle, cut the sausages in half crosswise.
Step 2: Layer the Coddle
In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, begin layering the ingredients. Start with a layer of sliced onions, followed by sliced potatoes, then the sausages and bacon. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used, finishing with a layer of potato and onion on top.
Step 3: Add Stock and Simmer
Pour the stock over the layered ingredients until it reaches just below the top layer. Season generously with black pepper but go easy on salt as the bacon and sausages are already salty. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover tightly, reduce heat to very low, and simmer.
Step 4: Slow Cook and Serve
Cook the coddle on the lowest possible heat for 70 to 75 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender and the broth has become rich and milky looking from the potato starch. Ladle into deep bowls, scatter with fresh parsley, and serve with thick slices of soda bread to mop up the broth.
Easy substitutions
Missing an ingredient? Here are some swaps that work perfectly:
- pork sausages → chicken sausages for a lighter version with less fat
- chicken stock → water with a tablespoon of Marmite dissolved in it for a richer darker broth
Common mistakes to avoid
Watch out for these pitfalls that can affect your results:
- Cooking the coddle at too high a temperature which causes the sausages to fall apart and the broth to become greasy
- Skipping the initial parboiling step which leaves excess fat in the finished dish making the broth heavy and oily
Nutrition facts
Per serving: 490 calories, 26g protein, 35g carbs, 28g fat, 4g fiber.
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