Seems like all we ever hear about for St. Patrick's Day is corned beef and cabbage, but this year the food columns seem to be branching out. I saw a recipe for steak marinated in Guinness, and something called Dublin Coddle.

Here's a description from About.com: British and Irish Food


"Coddle is a traditional Irish dish usually associated with Dublin and known also as Dublin Coddle. It is comfort food of the highest degree; a hearty nutritious stew-like dish made from salty bacon, pork sausages and potatoes.

The name comes from the long, slow simmering or ‘coddling’ of the dish. It has been suggested the popularity of coddle arose because it can be left simmering on the stove till the man comes in from the pub long after the wife had gone to bed

There are as many recipes for Dublin Coddle as there are bars in the city, and everyone’s mother has their own version which of course, is always the best."

Traditional Dublin Coddle

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 oz piece salty back bacon, weight after the rind removed
6 fat, traditional pork sausages
2 carrots, peeled and finely sliced
8 oz white potatoes, finely sliced
Salt and pepper
2 cups rich beef stock

Heat the oven to 425°F. In a large frying pan or skillet, heat the oil, add the onions and cook on a medium heat for abut 4 minutes. Cut the bacon piece into ½"/1 cm cubes. Add the bacon to the onions and stir well. Cut the sausages in half and add these to the onion and bacon.

Raise the heat and stirring constantly, cook until the sausages start to brown taking care not to burn the onions.
In a heat proof casserole, place a layer of the onion, bacon and sausage mixture followed by the layer of sliced carrots and the a layer of potato.

Season with salt and pepper. Repeat the layering until used up, finishing with a layer of potato.

Carefully pour over the stock. Cover with a lid or a double layer of aluminum foil. Place in the centre 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). Lower the heat to 350°F and cook for a further 30 minutes until bubbling and the potatoes are cooked through. Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Irish Soda Bread to soak up all the lovely juices.

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Here's a healthier version.

Healthier Dublin Coddle

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
6 ounces Canadian 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 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons chopped 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 cup apple cider
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and ground black pepper

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the Canadian bacon and saute until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a small bowl.

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 bowl of bacon. Add the onions and garlic to the pan, then saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Stir in the sage, thyme and parsley.

Add the russet and sweet potatoes, carrots, apples and reserved meat. Pour the apple cider and chicken stock over everything. Cover and set over medium-low heat. Cook until the vegetables and potatoes are very tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 6.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 340 calories; 90 calories from fat (26 percent of total calories); 10 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrate; 15 g protein; 5 g fiber; 670 mg sodium.