Dublin Coddle and Irish Brown Bread

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!! Everyone is busy making corned beef and cabbage, but it’s not a traditional Irish dish! Irish Americans used corned beef as a substitute for bacon in their Bacon and Cabbage dish. But coddle – now that’s a truly Irish dish!

A working class meal, coddle (from the French word caudle – to boil gently) is traditionally made of left-overs and served with bread to soak it all up. Made with potatoes, rashers (bacon), sausage and onion (no carrots in traditional coddle).

Soda bread or brown bread is typically served with it – a bread made without yeast, but rather baking soda. And both are so easy!!

Here’s how you do it – Coddle First:

Start with the coddle. Cut the bacon into large pieces

and slowly render the fat out in a large dutch oven. European bacon is not the same as American bacon. There is far less fat on it. If you are using Irish or European bacon, add just a little fat to the bottom of the pan.

Cut the sausage into 1 to 2 inch pieces and add them to the bacon. Cook on low until the sausage are cooked through.

When they are browned, remove them from the pan and set aside.

Add 1/8 cup of water to the pan and deglaze the bottom. Add the onions, sliced really thin. I use a mandolin for this –

and just a pinch of kosher salt and simmer gently until the onions are softening and the bottom of the pan is fully deglazed.

Layer the potatoes, parsley and meat into the pan, then add enough water to cover. Add some salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Cover the pan and bake at 300 degrees for about 1-1/2 hours. Remove it from the oven and add the stout.

Return to the oven, uncovered for about another 30 to 45 minutes. Take it out of the oven and put the cover on to keep it warm.

While the coddle is cooking, get the Irish bread ready.

5 from 14 votes

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Dublin Coddle

A truly Irish dish that's easy and delicious.

Course: Main Course, main dish

Cuisine: Irish

Keyword: bacon, irish, one pot, onions, potatoes, sausage

Servings: 4 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon, cut into pieces
• 1 pound cumberland or other Irish sausage, cut into 1 to 2 inche pieces
• 1 large onion, sliced thin
• 1/3 cup minced parsley
• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and into quarters
• 1/3 cup Irish stout, like Guiness
• water
• black pepper and kosher salt to taste

Instructions

1. Start with the coddle. Cut the bacon into large pieces and slowly render the fat out in a large dutch oven. European bacon is not the same as American bacon. There is far less fat on it. If you are using Irish or European bacon, add just a little fat to the bottom of the pan.

2. Cut the sausage into 1 to 2 inch pieces and add them to the bacon. Cook on low until the sausage are cooked through.

3. When they are browned, remove them from the pan and set aside.

4. Add 1/8 cup of water to the pan and deglaze the bottom. Add the onions and just a pinch of kosher salt and simmer gently until the onions are softening and the bottom of the pan is fully deglazed.

5. Layer the potatoes, parsley and meat into the pan, then add enough water to cover. Add some salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

6. Cover the pan and bake at 300 degrees for about 1-1/2 hours. Remove it from the oven and add the stout.

7. Return to the oven, uncovered for about another 30 to 45 minutes. Take it out of the oven and put the cover on to keep it warm.

8. While the coddle is cooking, get the bread ready.

9. Serve hot with warm bread.

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

Here’s how you do it – Now the Bread:

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.

Work it all together until a soft dough forms. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour.

Turn it out onto a flour board and gently knead 5 or 6 times, then shape it into a large ball, about 6 inches around.

Score an X in the top and place it on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet to rest.

When you remove the coddle from the oven, turn the heat up to 400 degrees. Bake the bread for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. The bread should be browned and sound hollow when tapped. (My husband tore a corner off, so it’s got a strange shape. Grrr)

Remove it from the oven, rub the top with butter and let it cool about 5 minutes before cutting.

Serve the coddle in a bowl with some warm bread on the side.

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

5 from 14 votes

Print

Irish Brown Bread

A super easy soda bread that goes great with Dublin Coddle

Course: bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: Irish

Keyword: bread, soda bread

Servings: 1 medium loaf

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1-1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar (light or dark)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 cup buttermilk

Instructions

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

2. Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.

3. Work it all together until a soft dough forms. If it's too sticky, add a little more flour.

4. Turn it out onto a flour board and gently knead 5 or 6 times, then shape it into a large ball, about 6 inches around.

5. Score an X in the top and place it on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet to rest.

6. When you remove the coddle from the oven, turn the heat up to 400 degrees. Bake the bread for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. The bread should be browned and sound hollow when tapped.

7. Remove it from the oven, rub the top with butter and let it cool about 5 minutes before cutting. 

8. Serve the coddle in a bowl with some warm bread on the side. 

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

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