Dublin Coddle – Just scratch

Dublin Coddle is an Irish one-pot feast, consisting of tender potatoes, pork sausage and onions with a light, flavorful broth. Serve as is or with roasted Brussels sprouts or cabbage with a loaf of crusty bread. For 6 to 8 people.

For those who may not be familiar with this dish, let me introduce you to something I is called… cosiness in a pot. Also known as the Dublin Coddle.

Dublin because it’s Irish. Coddle because it’s cooked low and slow.

Essentially, Dublin Coddle is an Irish one-pot collab of bacon, pork sausage, potatoes, and onions. Um-YES! Simple pantry and fridge staples are layered in a large, heavy pot and slowly cooked in the oven to perfection. I found out about Dublin Coddle on the internet a few years ago while looking for ideas for St Patrick’s Day dinner. I bookmarked it in my brain to create and share with you. Over the years I’ve tweaked it a tiny bit to make it even tastier (if that’s possible).

While not considered authentic by some, this is my take on this soul-warming classic. And um, hello bacon and pork sausage in one meal is basically food nirvana.

To prepare Dublin Coddle you will need:

• Thick cut applewood smoked bacon – Gives a distinct smoky flavor.
• Garlic – Gives a distinct, strong taste.
• Good quality pork sausage links – Use your favorite. I like to pick quality pork sausages from my local butcher.
• red potatoes – Withstands the low and slow braising. I like to peel mine coarsely.
• kosher salt – Enhances the flavor of this dish.
• freshly ground black pepper – Imparts subtle bite and flavor.
• fresh parsley – For a touch of green and herbaceous taste.
• yellow onions – Gives delicious onion flavor.
• Leek – Adds sweet onion flavor and depth to this dish.
• low sodium chicken broth – Or substitute with low-sodium bone broth or broth.

Slide your oven rack into the bottom third of your oven and preheat to 300°.

In a 7 quart Dutch oven, add the cubes and heat over medium-medium. I like to crisp up the bacon first to make the fat so I can cook the sausage in it. Makes sense to me, flavor evolution is the name of the game, but some would call that sacrilegious. To each their own, I suppose.

While the bacon is cooking, prepare the vegetables.

Meanwhile, roughly peel 3 pounds of red potatoes. I like to leave a little skin on to give it a rustic look. Cut each potato in half and then into 3 or 4 larger pieces – depending on the size of the potato. Keep them on the large side so they don’t go to pulp in the oven.

Then wash the leek thoroughly.

WHAT IS THE EASIEST WAY TO CLEAN LEEKS?

Begin by removing any tough outer leaves and cutting off the top, tough, dark green parts. Cut the leeks in half from top to bottom, leaving the root end intact. Fan each half under a steady stream of cold water to rinse and brush away any sand or dirt. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or kitchen paper and slice, dice or roughly chop.

Halve and slice 2 yellow onions, slice the white and light parts of each (cleaned) leek half, finely chop 6 garlic cloves and 2 tablespoons fresh parsley.

Once the bacon is cooked and crispy, add 6 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon and garlic to a plate lined with paper towels.

Add 2 pounds of pork sausage pieces (about 6 pieces) to the bacon grease in the skillet. Sear each side for 3 to 4 minutes to add some color to the sausage.

What kind of pork sausage is used in Dublin Coddle?

And buy GOOD pork sausage. I stopped by my favorite butcher/market because they carry all sorts of sausages and picked up their homemade rustic version. But don’t hesitate to use your favorite!

Remove the pot from the stove and turn off the stove. Transfer the sausages to a cutting board. Cut each of the sausages into thirds.

In the now-empty saucepan, add the potatoes, a generous pinch of kosher salt, some freshly ground black pepper, and half the parsley.

Next add onions, leeks and sausages.

Finally top with bacon and garlic and the remaining parsley.

Pour in 2 to 3 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, bone broth, or broth. We like our Dublin Coddle with lots of broth, so I’ll go with 3 cups.

Cover and place in an oven preheated to 300° for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

This is when the magic happens!

Now your home should smell amazing!

Stir the Dublin Coddle, sprinkle with more parsley for a shot of green and coarsely ground black pepper. Season with salt if needed. Serve immediately while hot.

Scoop all these delicious delights into bowls and serve as is or with toasted Brussels sprouts and torn crusty bread. Crusty bread is an absolute must for soaking up the heavenly broth. Unless you prefer to tip the bowl back and drink. Be my guest, you can’t go wrong either way.

After the dishes were done, I curled up under 7 blankets on the couch and took a nap. If that’s even a thing. (Please let it be a thing)

What to serve with Dublin Coddle:

Enjoy! And if you try this Dublin Coddle recipe let me know! Take a picture and tag me chirp or instagram!