It’s Saint Patrick’s Day today, and whether you are Irish or not, many of you will most likely be heading to the pub to celebrate and enjoy a pint of Guinness. So why not try this traditional Irish Coddle recipe to line your stomach beforehand and get into the real spirit of Saint Patrick’s Day? It would work well for a flat meal.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 oz. /115g bacon
6 fat, pork sausages
2 carrots, peeled and finely sliced
8 oz. /250g white potatoes, finely sliced
Salt and pepper
2 cups/500 ml rich beef stock.
Serves 4
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220 °C/ gas 7.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onions. You should cook these for approximately four minutes.
3. Cut the bacon into one cm cube shapes and add to the onions and stir well.
4. Next you can cut the sausages in half (smaller if you like) and add to the bacon and onion. Increase the heat until the sausages are cooked, being careful not to burn the onions.
5. You will need an oven proof dish; place a layer of the onion, bacon and sausage mixture, followed by a layer of sliced carrots and then a layer of potato (if you are really rushed for time, boil the potatoes and carrots in some water before hand to soften them). Repeat this layering, finishing with a layer of potato and season each layer with salt and pepper.
6. Pour over the stock and then cover the dish with a lid or a double layer of foil.
7. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. You should check to make sure that it hasn’t dried out, and top up with boiling water if necessary (but be careful not to flood it).
8. Lower the heat to 350°F/175°C/gas mark 4 and cook for a further 30 minutes until it is bubbling and the potatoes are cooked through.
9. When you take it out of the oven, let it rest for ten minutes before serving. It is recommended to serve with soda bread, but, if you haven’t got any, normal bread will be just as nice to soak up the flavour.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
