This is Dublin Coddle, also known as Irish Potato and Sausage Stew. Now, I have no idea if this is authentic as I have never had it in Dublin, in Ireland…. or frankly anywhere at at time, so I hope that I am not embarrassing myself too much. Critiques — at least on the looks of things — are welcome. I will say that I like all the ingredients (onions, potatoes, bacon, sausage, broth and herbs) and together they tasted terrific and it wasn’t hard to make at all. At the end of the day, it is a bit similar to a German or a ‘standard European stew’. It’s a good way to end St. Patrick’s Day.
Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt and pepper
4 slices Irish back-bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces*
1 1/2 pounds Irish-style sausage *
2 onions, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rings
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Directions
Heat oven to 325F Shingle potato slices in bottom of 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside.
Cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy, 12 to 14 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel–lined plate. Carefully add sausages to now-empty skillet and cook until lightly browned on tops and bottoms, about 5 minutes. Transfer to another paper towel–lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet and return to medium heat. Add onions, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cover and cook until onions are softened, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits. Add broth and vinegar, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer.
Carefully pour onion mixture over potatoes, spreading onions into even layer. Place sausages, browned side up, on top of onions. Transfer to oven and bake until paring knife inserted into potatoes meets little resistance, about 1 1/4 hours.
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and reserved bacon, and serve immediately
*Irish or British back bacon is preferred here, but as you most likely won’t be able to find that, choose a lean, but thick cut American-style bacon. Similarly, Irish sausage are preferred, but Bratwurst will work too.
