Dublin Coddle
Dublin Coddle – a traditional Irish stew of onions, potatoes, bacon, and sausages. Serve with soda bread spread with lots of butter!
Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? If you do, what do you usually serve? I always choose something true to Irish cuisine. Or as nearly authentic a recipe as I can manage in a Southern American kitchen.
This year, we’re going to be enjoying Dublin Coddle, which is a stew of onions, potatoes, sausages, and bacon. The only problem? You can’t get Irish sausages and bacon around here.
Irish bacon is not smoked. It’s “back bacon” unlike American bacon which is from the belly of the pig (the Irish would call ours “streaky bacon”). And Irish sausages are generally more mild and unsmoked as well.
And for that matter, we really don’t have the same potatoes that they do in Ireland. Idaho baking potatoes are about as close as I can get. At any rate, I tried my best to put together as nearly an authentic recipe as possible with easily available ingredients.
If you want to be really authentic, there are online sources for Irish bacon and sausages. FoodIreland.com is a good one. But you can make some substitutions and come pretty close to the authentic recipe.
🥄 How to Make Dublin Coddle
For the sausages, you’ll need the mildest, small breakfast sausages (in casings) that you can find. You can see the ones I use in the photo. Just be sure they’re quite mild and have no sage in them.
As far as the bacon goes, Canadian bacon makes a fair substitute for Irish bacon, which is more like we’d think of as ham.
In a large, heavy Dutch oven, heat the butter or oil over medium high heat. Add the sausages and cook until browned on all sides. Remove sausages from the pan.
While the sausages are browning, cut the onion into thick slices. Peel and cut the potatoes into thick slices and cut the Canadian bacon into one-inch wide pieces.
Add the ingredients to the Dutch oven making layers of onion, potatoes, sausages, and Canadian bacon. As you make the layers, salt and pepper each layer of potatoes and sprinkle over a little fresh thyme. Continue layering until all ingredients are used.
Add the chicken stock or broth to the pan and add enough water to bring the liquid to the top of the layered ingredients.
Bring the contents of the pot to a boil and then either (1) reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45-60 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat and let sit until ready to serve. Bring back to the boil and stir in the parsley before serving. Or (2) cover and transfer to a 300 degree oven to cook for 3-4 hours. When ready to serve, gently stir in the parsley.
Serve with Irish soda bread spread generously with butter.
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📖 Recipe
Dublin Coddle
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter or oil
- 12 ounces small mild sausages in casings
- 1 large yellow onion
- 3 large baking potatoes
- 12 ounces Canadian bacon
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fresh thyme
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large, heavy Dutch oven, heat the butter or oil over medium high heat. Add the sausages and cook until browned on all sides. Remove sausages from the pan.
- While the sausages brown, cut the onion into thick slices. Peel and cut the potatoes into thick slices and cut the Canadian bacon in one-inch wide pieces.
- Add the ingredients to the Dutch oven making layers of onion, potatoes, sausages, and Canadian bacon. As you make layers, salt and pepper each layer of potatoes and sprinkle over a little fresh thyme. Continue layering until all ingredients are used.
- Add the chicken stock or broth to the pan along with enough water to bring the liquid to the top of the layered ingredients.
- Bring the contents of the pot to a boil and then either (1) reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Turn off the heat and let sit until ready to serve. Bring back to the boil and stir in the parsley before serving. Or (2) cover and transfer to a 300 degree oven to cook for 3-4 hours. When ready to serve, gently stir in the parsley.
- Serve with Irish soda bread spread generously with butter.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
This is the only Dublin Coddle recipe I use. Stumbled upon it and was hooked after the first bite. I’ve made it several times and usually by request from others who’ve tried it. I usually put it in the oven for 3-4 hours, when time allows, because the flavors are given time to develop. This is something I always want to make when the cooler weather takes hold. Love the simplicity of this dish, with its short, attainable list of ingredients and easy assembly, and yet, the flavor is so satisfying and comforting! Especially love this with a slice of warm Irish Soda Bread and Kerrygold butter. 😊
I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe! We love this one at our house as well.
One pointer, in Ireland, we boil the sausages in the stew we don’t fry them.
Thanks Lauren. And I wish I had access to the kinds of sausages you have in Ireland. But alas, we make do with what we have.
This all looks amazing, but I really want to have at those onions! I bet they pick up so much flavor from the sausage and bacon. Yum!
It looks as though you made a wonderful dish, authentic Irish bacon and sausage or not! What a wonderful comfort meal for St. Paddy’s Day.
I was searching for Irish sausage this year too and I couldn’t find it either. This stew looks awesome and I wish I had a big hearty bowl right now.
I’ve never had a Dublin Coddle before – it sounds delicious. One of the things I really miss about Ireland is their bacon. I love ours too, but in a different way. I have to try this!
I love them both, too, Heather!
We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day a little bit and this may need to be on the menu Tuesday!
I love that you tried to make this as authentic as possible! I didn’t even know Irish sausage was a thing. This dish looks great!
Thanks, Erin. I always try to do something as authentic as possible for St. Patrick’s Day. Many of the things we think of as Irish (i.e., corned beef) are not authentic at all!
Could I do this in slow-cooker and if so how long would it need to cook. I love using my slow-cooker That way I can assembly and leave.
Thanks
I think this would work really well in a slow cooker. I would guess that the cooking time would be about 5-6 hours on low but that’s only a guess.
Oh yum! Never heard of this
Looks delicious. Will definitely try this next Tuesday in Savannah for the Celebration.
I make Bangers & Mash occasionally – I use the fresh Sausage from Fresh Market- very mild, think it’s just called Pork Sausage- large size like yours. Reminds me of England.
I have a Fresh Market not very far away. I’ll definitely have to try that sausage next time I’m in there.
I never knew the differences in Irish bacon and sausage, how interesting! This Dublin Coddle looks amazing! I had never heard of it before, but I have to try it now!
Yes, Angie, their bacon and sausage are quite different from ours. My favorite meal when we were over there was always breakfast.
This sounds and looks delicious. It reminds me of the comfort foods that I grew up with. Of course I come from Irish stock so it would make sense. I will definitely try this. thanks
It’s most definitely comfort food! Polly might like it, too.