I didn’t realize that I had so much Irish ancestry until I took a DNA test a few years back and learned that it’s one of my top results. All four of us took DNA tests at the same time and it was eye-opening to learn each of our backgrounds. We wanted to have a better idea of our daughters’ genetic makeup since both were adopted at birth, but it was just as fascinating discovering more about my own heritage. Since then I sometimes try to make traditional foods as a way of exploring and connecting with the past. Every March I like to make traditional Irish foods as a way of celebrating this part of my history and sharing it with my family. This dublin coddle is a traditional Irish dish that we enjoy every year! We really enjoy authentic Irish meals, which typically use simple ingredients to create something flavorful and delicious! If you are also a fan of Irish food, you may like our Bangers and Mash or Shepherd’s Pie next! Saint Patrick’s Day has become a bigger holiday for us since moving to Dublin (California, not Ireland) where there is a St. Patrick’s Day festival and parade and everybody gets school and work off and goes to the big city festival. Our town is way into its Irish heritage and there are shamrocks on all our town signs and everything. In our first year of marriage, I thought it would be fun to have corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day dinner, which I now know is more Irish-American than actual Irish anyway. But I screwed it up so badly that we ended up scrapping the whole thing and walking to our favorite Indian restaurant and having chicken tikka masala instead. Thankfully, I have since learned how to make fantastic corned beef and cabbage, which I highly recommend! At least I’ve learned from my failures. The good thing is that I discovered this Dublin Coddle recipe and found it much easier to not mess up and even more traditional that corned beef and cabbage anyway. I haven’t yet had the opportunity to visit the Emerald Isle, but it’s high on my list of places to go when we get the chance! For now, I love traveling vicariously by exploring some more traditional Irish foods and sharing them here! If you are looking for a delicious dessert to serve with your Dublin coddle, I recommend Sticky Toffee Pudding which, while known for being British, is also served for dessert in Ireland.
What You’ll Need
The list of ingredients is short and simple! This dish is made from humble ingredients that many poor Irish would have had access to like potatoes, onions, and sausages.
Sausages: In this case, I like to use bangers, which are also sometimes called British bangers, but are really just pork sausages. The flavor is closest to country pork sausage, although if you can’t find some, even mild Italian sausage, bratwurst, or kielbasa would work. Potatoes: We prefer russet potatoes in this dish, rather than waxier yukon gold or red potatoes. Onions: These are secretly my favorite part of the whole dish! They add so much flavor! Beef Broth: The savory broth softens and flavors the potatoes and onions while the whole thing cooks in the oven. I usually just use water and better-than-bouillon beef base for my beef broth. Bacon: Everything is better with bacon! Chopping the bacon before cooking it makes it super easy cook in the same pot that you plan to cook the rest of the dish in. Parsley: A generous amount of freshly chopped parsley adds a wonderful herby element to this humble, hearty fare. You can use dried parsley if that’s all you have on hand, but fresh is much better in this dish, in my opinion. Salt & Pepper: What recipe is complete without this hard-working pair of ingredients that season the rest of the ingredients so the dish isn’t bland?
How to Make Dublin Coddle
Recipe Tips
Can’t find bangers? Here are some good substitutions: They can be difficult to find, although most of my local grocery stores get a few cases in around St. Patrick’s Day and I always stock up because I love their unique flavor. Additional ingredients: Some people throw in carrots or leeks or use Guinness instead of beef broth. Others cut the sausages into pieces rather than cooking them whole like I do here. Feel free to change things up to make your dublin coddle just how you like it! Reheating leftovers: If you have any leftovers, they are absolutely delicious the next day! Just stick them back in a pot and cover with a lid or with foil and heat for 15 minutes in a 350 degree F oven until warm.
What to serve with Dublin Coddle
This is really a one-pot dish that has everything you need for a balanced meal. But you can’t go amiss serving it with a loaf of fresh Irish soda bread! A green salad would also be delicious.
Dublin Coddle Lore
While researching Dublin Coddle I found a number of interesting stories or legends about it that I found fascinating. Whether these are true or not, I really can’t say. One idea is that it was made by Irish women on nights when their husbands would visit the pubs. Since dublin coddle can be left simmering on the stove, the men would have something decent to eat when they got home and the women could go to bed. Another theory is that this is a dish you only find in Dublin, Ireland and not throughout the rest of the country. This is because unlike it’s counterpart, Irish Stew, which uses mutton, Dublin Coddle uses sausages (bangers) which were more readily available and more affordable in the city than mutton, which was found more in the rural parts of the country. Ladle portions of the coddle into bowls and serve with crusty bread for sopping up the rich sauce! Don’t wait for St. Patrick’s Day to roll around to try out this wonderful Irish dish!
More Irish Recipes You’ll Enjoy
Irish Soda Bread Bangers and Mash with Onion Gravy Irish Apple Cake with Warm Custard Sauce Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake with Toffee Sauce
This post was originally published in February, 2017. The photos and content were updated in March, 2021.
Creamy Irish Leek and Potato Soup
Irish Colcannon (Mashed Potatoes & Cabbage)
Corned Beef and Cabbage (Irish Recipe)
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