Dublin coddle: a St. Paddy’s Day classic

Author’s Note: I updated this recipe, originally posted on March 16th, 2012, with some improvements to make it easier and more delicious. I hope you’ll try it this St. Paddy’s Day!

Mmmmm, Dublin Coddle

Remember when I said I was looking for more Irish recipes? Well, I found a great one! This recipe for Dublin coddle landed in my lap at just the right time, via my monthly email from our CSA farmers. Sweet potatoes are Charlotte’s absolute favorite food, and I’ve been looking for ways to jazz them up apart from the usual routine, which includes variations on butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and white pepper (my mom puts soy sauce on her sweet potatoes…oh, and Italian dressing on her baked potatoes). Plus, it’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, and you simply cannot live in Boston without getting into the holiday spirit. [I must stop here to tell my friends and family from the south that they SELL clover here, like, in grocery stores. I know!].

This comforting recipe is great for using up what you’ve got on hand; in fact, the lore of Dublin coddle is that folks made it on Thursday to use up their meat and fill themselves up before Friday during Lent. Feel free to change it up and make it yours. I flipped the amount of regular potatoes and sweet potatoes to use up some I had in the pantry. It was delicious! Any way you make it, it’s a frugal way to make your bellies full and happy. So here it is, my favorite farmer’s favorite Irish recipe.

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Chestnut Farms’ Dublin coddle
serves 6

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. oil
½ lb. bacon, chopped
10 ounces chicken sausages (any variety), sliced into 1-inch-thick diagonal slices
2 large yellow onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh chopped (or 1 tsp. dried) each of: sage, thyme, parsley
2 large russet potatoes, cut into thick slices
1 large sweet potato, cut into thick slices
2 carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 apples, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 bottle hard cider
2 c. water
1 pkg. chicken soup mix (or 2 bouillon cubes)
Salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sauté bacon until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add the sausage to the pan and brown the slices on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the sausage to the plate o’ meat. Add the onions and garlic to the pan, then sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Stir in the sage, thyme and parsley.
2. Place russet and sweet potatoes, carrots, apples and reserved meat in a crock pot. Sprinkle it with chicken soup mix. Pour the cider and water over everything. Cover and set over low heat for three hours. The vegetables and potatoes should be very tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a pint of stout and some biscuits. Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Cheers,
~J
Editor’s note: This post is part of Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Real Food Wednesday, the Homestead Barn Hop, Monday Mania, Sunday School, FarmGirl Friday, Fight Back Friday, and Frugal Friday