Meet Dublin Coddle: The Cozy Irish Stew That Warms the Soul

Stews and soups are the only meals I would eat if I had my way. They are always nourishing and filling. They leave me warm in the winter months and cool in the summer.

So, whenever the opportunity comes to learn about and cook a new dish in this category, I take it. Queue St. Patrick’s Day. If you are looking for a traditional dish to try this holiday, something called Dublin Coddle is certainly the way to go.

There might not be a recipe more Irish than this. Below you’ll learn what this dish is, why it’s a must if you love stews as much as I do, and how to make it.

What Is Dublin Coddle?

"As the story goes,” writes Chef John, “this adorably named dish would be prepared early in the evening by one spouse, and left to slowly simmer on the stove, or ‘coddle,’ while the other spouse was enjoying a pint or three at the pub. After the barkeep would say something like, ‘You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here,’ they would head back to enjoy a big bowl of Dublin Coddle." This is a nice picture to imagine in the small towns and homes of Ireland.

This traditional Irish meal is a sausage and potato stew dressed up with any ingredients you have in your kitchen. This is how a coddle, which comes from the French word caudle—which means to stew or boil gently—got its start.

According to the Dublin City Council, "coddle dates back to the first Irish famine in the late 1700s where anything on hand got thrown into the pot."

"A hearty coddle is made from leftovers and therefore is without a specific recipe (this leads to heated debate from purists and the new fusion brigade) and typically consists of roughly cut spuds, sliced onions, rashers, and sausages."

Our recipe from Chef John includes thick-cut bacon, yellow and green onions, garlic, a stout beer, chicken broth, Yukon Gold potatoes, pork sausage links (preferably the Irish kind), and plenty of spices and seasoning to round it out.

How to Make Dublin Coddle

Low and slow is the way to go with this recipe, which is an easy one to tackle. There are two ways to make a Dublin Coddle. A "white coddle" entails combining all the ingredients into a pot at the same time and cooking until ready, while a "brown coddle" starts by browning the meat.

The recipe can be made both on the stove top or in the oven. It just depends on which type of coddle you're working with. The recipe Chef John put together starts by browning the meat on the stovetop and ends with a trip to the oven.

On medium heat, cook the bacon in a Dutch oven until brown. Add butter, onions, a pinch of salt, and cook until onions are soft and translucent. Toss in some garlic and green onions and stir while it cooks for two more minutes. Raise the heat to high and add in your beer and seasoning—thyme, parsley, black pepper, salt, and a pinch of cayenne—until the beer has reduced by more than half. Then add in the potatoes, and chicken stock and let it all simmer.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Prick your sausages on either end before placing them on the other ingredients in the pot. Cover and cook in the oven for about 2 1/2 hours. Uncover when the time is up and cook in the oven for another hour.

Garnish with more green onions and serve with a couple of slices of Irish soda bread to mop up the bowl, as well as a fresh pint of Guinness, if that interests you.

“This is a truly great bowl of food,” Chef John writes, “and whether you enjoy it after a few stouts or not, I really do hope you give this a try soon.”