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!!

Making the Coddle

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 ^[1] bread ready.

Baking the Brown 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

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St. Patty’s is tomorrow – what are planning? We’re planning a weekend of Irish inspired food! Sound like fun? Well here are a few ideas for you to check out for your own Irish weekend –

Erin go Bragh!

 

Starting with breakfast – How about this (Almost) Full Irish Breakfast ^[1]. You’ll need to take a long walk after this one! ^[1]

 

A little Irish coffee ^[7] would go great after the meal! ^[7]

 

Here is an easy recipe for Traditional Irish Soda Bread ^[8]. ^[8]

 

One of my favorites – Irish Colcannon ^[9]. ^[9]

 

And last but certainly not least, Irish Coddle ^[10]! ^[10]

 

A full Irish breakfast is just what is says – FULL!!  It consists of Irish sausage (AKA Bangers), Irish bacon rashers, eggs with Dubliner cheese, potatoes, mushrooms, tomatoes, Irish soda bread…I mean, it’s FULL!!  This breakfast just has bangers, bacon, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, and toast – oh, and a full Irish stout!

Also called an Irish Fry-up because everything is fried.  I don’t recommend this kind of breakfast on a regular basis, but hey, it’s a holiday!

What you need:

• 1 large potatoes fun in rounds
• 4 Irish Banger Sausages
• 8 Slices Irish or British bacon (rashers – see note)
• 2 tomatoes
• 4 eggs
• 4 Tablespoons grated Dubliner cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Irish Butter (European butters have a lot less water)
• 4 Slices of toast or Irish Soda Bread ^[8]

Note:  Irish and British bacon is made from the pork loin with plenty of pork belly still attached.  American bacon is made only from the pork belly.  That means there is far less fat on that Irish/British bacon.  If you can’t find Irish bacon, use thin sliced loin chops (boneless) or, as I used, a black forest dry cured bacon.

 

 

 

 

 

How to Do it:

First – Cook the sausage and bacon until the sausage is browned and the bacon is crispy.  Place on a hot plate and keep warm in the oven on low.

Fry the potatoes in what is left of the bacon grease (if you’ve used the Irish/British bacon there won’t be a lot – if you used American, drain some of the fat) until the potatoes are browned.  Add 2 Tablespoons of butter and cook until it is melted and starting to permeate the potatoes.  Place in an oven-proof dish and put in the oven to stay warm.  Add the toast or soda bread to the oven to warm it up now.

Cut the tomatoes in half and place in the hot oil.  Cook until it starts to brown, then turn.  Add the eggs to the pan and cook the way you like eggs (we do over-medium at our house).  Sprinkle each egg with 1 Tablespoon of cheese just before serving.

Remove the food from the oven.  Use the remaining butter on the bread.  Plate the food and serve it hot – with a good Irish Stout or Irish coffee.  Don’t want to use alcohol, some fresh squeezed orange juice would go perfect!

 

Makes about 4 servings

© Copyright 2017 The Lazy Gastronome

 

There is an Irish proverb that says “Laughter is brightest where food is the best.”  Well here is a collection of Irish dishes that will fill the room with laughter and fill your belly with joy!

Happy St. Patty’s Day!

A little twist on a pub classic – Using potatoes and thyme, this classic appetizer takes on a new life.

What you need:

• 4 potatoes
• Oil to fry
• ½ pound of ground beef
• 5-6 slices of cooked bacon
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 4 baby sweet peppers, sliced
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4-5 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and thyme
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt

How to Do it:

Bring a large sauce pan of salted water to boil.  Cut the potatoes into thin strips

and add them to the water.  Cook until tender.  Drain, cool and dry.

In a deep fryer or a deep sauce pan, bring oil to about 350 degrees.  Carefully slide the potato strips into the oil and cook until golden brown and crispy.

Cook the ground beef with ½ the parsley and thyme and all of the garlic powder and garlic salt.

Lay half the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Top with half the cheese and half the meat.  Lay the remaining potatoes on top with the remaining cheese and meat.  Top that with the sweet pepper and the bacon.

Turn the oven on to broil.  Place the potatoes in the center of the over (Not right under the heat element, but a little lower) and cook for about 5 minutes – until the cheese melts and the bacon is crispy.

Top with chopped onions and tomatoes and the remaining thyme and parsley.

 

Serve hot with ranch dip.

Serves 4

© Copyright 2016 The Lazy Gastronome

 

 

 

 

 

 

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