Delicious Dublin Coddle

By
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Updated on 11/17/21
Dublin Coddle recipe

The Spruce
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 100 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
402 Calories
26g Fat
21g Carbs
21g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 402
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 34%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Cholesterol 58mg 19%
Sodium 1016mg 44%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 21g
Vitamin C 9mg 44%
Calcium 42mg 3%
Iron 2mg 10%
Potassium 917mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

A Dublin coddle is the beloved Irish take on a rich stew. Named from the French verb "caudle," or to gently boil, this recipe was originally invented as a resourceful way of feeding many when food scarcity was common. The dish that we know today is clearly meat-heavy, a far cry from earlier versions with just potatoes, vegetables, and pork scraps. Coddles can take many shapes because each cook can add whatever leftovers they have at hand, but in general potatoes and other root vegetables, bacon, sausages, and onions make the base of this delicious preparation.

Considered comfort food of the highest degree, this hearty, nutritious dish is a tasty one-pot meal that can be made ahead of time and then left in a slightly warmed oven until it's time to eat. Usually served with bread, the coddle meal is so filling that there is no need to make other dishes to accompany it—just fresh soda bread slices, perfect to soak up the juices. Sometimes made with Guinness beer to add a deep earthy flavor and rich texture, our version is made with beef stock (if you use wheat-free stock and sausages, the dish becomes a naturally gluten-free option).

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 2 medium onions, thinly sliced

  • 4 ounces bacon, weighed without rind 

  • 6 pork sausages

  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely sliced

  • 8 ounces white potatoes, peeled and finely sliced

  • 2 cups beef stock, or chicken stock

  • Salt, to taste, optional

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for Dubling Coddle
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  2. Heat the oven to 425 F/220 C/gas 7. In a large frying pan or skillet, heat the oil. Add the onions and cook over a medium heat for about 4 minutes.

    Cooking onions
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  3. Cut the bacon piece into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the bacon to the onions and stir well.

    Add bacon to onions
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  4. Cut the sausages in half and add these to the skillet with the onions and bacon.

    Cut sausage
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  5. Raise the heat and, constantly stirring, cook the mixture until the sausages start to brown, without burning the onions. Remove from heat.

    Cooking through
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  6. In a heat-proof casserole or Dutch oven, place a layer of the onion, bacon, and sausage mixture followed by a layer of sliced carrots and then a layer of potato.

    Placing layers in a casserole
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  7. Repeat the layering until you've used up the entirety of the sausage mixture, the carrots, and all of the potatoes. Finish up with a layer of potatoes.

    Layers of potato
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  8. Carefully pour over the stock.

    Pour over
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  9. Cover with a lid or a double layer of aluminum foil.

    Cover with a lid
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  10. Place in the center of the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Take a peek to make sure the coddle isn't drying out. If necessary, top up with a little boiling water but don't flood the stew.

    Placed in the oven
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  11. Lower the heat to 350 F/175 C/gas 4 and cook for a further 30 minutes, until bubbling and the potatoes are thoroughly cooked.

  12. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with hefty slices of Irish soda bread and butter to soak up all the lovely juices in the dish.

    Let cool
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  13. Enjoy!

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