Sausage Coddle Food

IRISH CODDLE (SAUSAGE AND POTATO STEW)

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a large skillet until the edges are just beginning to turn brown. Remove from pan and let drain on paper towels. Reserve fat.
• Cook sausage in the same skillet, adding the reserved bacon fat if needed to prevent sticking. (If using a breakfast sausage, break into pieces using your fingers before placing into the pan. If using a sausage that is in large links, keep intact, then slice after cooking or while it is is still frying.) Remove from skillet and set aside.
• Place onions in skillet. Cook until lightly browned and softened, about 6-8 minutes.
• Layer cooked onions in the bottom of a large oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven. Place bacon on top of onions, and sausage on top of bacon.
• Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add minced garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaf.
• Pour in chicken broth and the bottle of stout beer.
• Spread potatoes and leeks evenly over the top.
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Cover and place pan on stove over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
• Place covered pan into preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.
• Add salt to taste.
• Serve warm, ladled into bowls.

DUBLIN CODDLE

Steps:

• Place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat; cook the sausages and bacon in the bottom of the Dutch oven until the bacon is crisp; drain fat from the pan, reserving 1 tablespoon of drippings. Crumble the bacon and halve the sausages.
• Heat the reserved drippings to the Dutch oven over low heat along with the crumbled bacon and sausages. Add the onions and carrots; cook and stir until the onions soften, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the stock and milk; bring to a simmer until the potatoes are fork tender 30 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to serve.

DUBLIN CODDLE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas 2.
• 2. Cut any larger potatoes into three or four pieces, leaving smaller ones whole so that they will cook evenly. Dissolve the stock cube in the boiled water, if using.
• 3. Grill the sausages and bacon long enough to colour them but taking care not to dry them out. Drain on paper towels and chop the bacon into 2 1/2cm (1in) pieces. You can chop the sausages into bite-sized pieces, though some prefer to leave them whole.
• 4. In a large ovenproof casserole dish with a tight lid, layer the onions, bacon, sausages and potatoes, seasoning each layer liberally with pepper and parsley. Continue until the ingredients are used up and pour the hot water or bouillon mixture over the top.
• 5. On the stove, bring the liquid to a boil. Immediately reduce heat and cover the pot. You may like to put a layer of foil underneath the pot lid to help seal it.
• 6. Place the covered pot in preheated oven and cook for at least three hours (up to four or five hours will not hurt it). After two hours, check liquid levels and add more water if necessary. There should be about an inch of liquid at the bottom of the pot at all times.
• 7. Serve hot with fresh soda bread to mop up the lovely gravy.

IRISH CODDLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Add the bacon to a large Dutch oven and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage and increase the heat to medium high. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon and sausage are nicely browned, about 10 more minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon and sausage to a plate.
• Drain the fat from the pot and return it to medium heat. Add the onions, a pinch of salt and 1/4 cup water. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the brown bits from the bottom and sides of the pot, then sprinkle the onions with 1 tablespoon of the parsley and plenty of black pepper. Layer the bacon and sausage over the onions and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley and more black pepper. Layer the potatoes over the meat and add enough water to submerge everything but the potatoes, about 2 cups. Season the potato layer with a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon parsley. Bring the liquid to a boil (don't stir!), then cover and transfer to the oven. Bake, checking halfway to add more water if needed, until the onions are very tender and caramelized and the liquid has reduced slightly, about 2 hours.
• Finish with a pour of stout, if using, and a final garnish of the remaining parsley. Serve immediately with soda bread.

TRADITIONAL DUBLIN CODDLE

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels, reserving grease in the skillet. Slice into big chunky pieces and transfer to a large pot.
• Cook sausages, turning occasionally, in the bacon grease until browned, about 5 minutes; add to the large pot. Cook and stir onion in the same skillet until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the pot.
• Arrange potatoes over onion. Pour in enough water to cover the potatoes. Cover the pot; bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to very low; simmer until potatoes are tender, 1 to 1 hour 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

IRISH CODDLE

Steps:

• Cut 1/2 pound or 1 pound bacon slices into 2 inch lengths, or cut piece of bacon into thick slices and into 2 inch lengths. Brown bacon in a heavy frying pan. Drain on paper towels. Prick 1/2 to 1 pound sausages and brown in frying pan. Drain along with bacon.
• Arrange bacon and sausages in a casserole or heavy kettle.
• Slice onions and arrange on bacon and sausages. Pare and slice potatoes and place on top of onions. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Sprinkle layers of onions and potatoes with salt and pepper to taste. The amount will depend on saltiness of bacon and sausage.
• Pour off all but a tablespoon or two of the drippings in the frying pan. Add 1 cup of water to drippings and bring to a boil. Pour over Coddle. If needed, add additional water until almost to the top of the potatoes. Cover and bake in a moderate oven 350 F., until potatoes and onions are very tender, about 1 hour. Uncover for last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking and brown slightly, if desired.
• Traditionally, Coddle is simmered on top of the stove instead of in the oven. Serve with Irish Soda Bread or homemade whole wheat bread. Makes 6 servings.
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