Coddle recipe

Traditionally, explains Irish chef Jp McMahon, to make coddle, sausages and bacon were cut up and combined with onions and potatoes and left to stew in a light broth.

“Though often unappetising to look at, the dish was made famous by several Irish writers, from Jonathan Swift to James Joyce and Seán O’Casey. Modern versions include barley and carrots,” he adds.

“It is essentially a dish that grew out of poverty and famine and then migrated into the working-class areas of Dublin at the beginning of the twentieth century to become a dish of central importance to the people who lived there.”

Coddle from The Irish Cookbook by Jp McMahon

Ingredients:
(Serves 8)

2tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra if needed
500g sausages, cut into pieces if preferred
500g streaky bacon, cut into pieces
500g onions, sliced
2tbsp chopped thyme
2 bay leaves
1 litre chicken stock
1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4tbsp chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper

Coddle from The Irish Cookbook by Jp McMahon (Phaidon/Anita Murphy/Zania Koppe/PA)

Method:

1. Warm the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the sausages and bacon and fry for about 10 minutes until they have a nice colour. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

2. Add the sliced onions to the pan and a little more oil if necessary. Reduce the heat and fry for about 10 minutes so that the onions caramelize slowly.

3. When the onions have a nice colour, return the sausages and bacon to the pan and add the thyme and bay leaves. Cover with the chicken stock (broth) and return to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the potatoes. Cook for about 30 minutes.

4. Add the chopped parsley and plenty of black pepper and serve.

The Irish Cookbook by Jp McMahon, photography and styling by Anita Murphy and Zania, is published by Phaidon. Available February 28.

The following two tabs change content below.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

The Press Association

News from the Press Association - the national news agency for the UK and Ireland

Latest posts by The Press Association (see all)

• 6 mind sports to exercise your brain and keep you sharp - December 20, 2024
• Quiz: What classic Christmas food or drink are you? - December 20, 2024
• Leftover turkey and watercress pie - December 20, 2024
• Catherine and William choose family shot for Christmas card photograph - December 19, 2024
• The best books to watch out for in 2025 - December 17, 2024