Hailing from the emerald shores of Ireland, Coddle represents another entry in the storied tradition of dishes that initially began as ways to use up all the leftovers. However, once you take a bite, you’ll know in an instant that you won’t have any leftovers from this meal! Fatty bacon, savory sausage, and fluffy potatoes are stacked and then braised in chicken broth until everything is melt-in-your-mouth tender and everything tastes meaty and magical. Coddle isn’t quite a soup or a stew, but it serves up all the same nourishing, heartwarming feelings. You’ll just love cuddling up with a bowl of Coddle!
Ingredients
- 1-pound thick-cut bacon
- 1-pound pork sausage links
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 4 medium yellow onions, peeled and sliced crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
- 3 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices.
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
- 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, picked and finely chopped, plus more for garnish
- 3 bay leaves, divided
- crusty bread, optional, for serving
Directions
Step 1 –Arrange a rack in the middle position of the oven.
Step 2 –Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Step 3 –Trim off the rind of the bacon and cut the bacon crosswise into 2-inch pieces.
Step 4 –Place a large (7-quart) Dutch oven or oven-safe, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
Step 5 –Add the bacon to the Dutch oven and cook, until the fat is slightly translucent and any watery liquid has evaporated but the bacon does not brown or crisp, about 10 minutes.
Step 6 –Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Step 7 –Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the Dutch oven, discarding the remaining fat. You can also reserve the remaining bacon fat for later broiling.
Step 8 –Add the pork sausages to the hot fat in the Dutch oven and cook until lightly browned on 2 sides, about 1 minute 30 seconds per side. Don’t worry about cooking them through yet.
Step 9 –Transfer the sausages to the plate with the bacon.
Step 10 –Pour 1/4 cup of the chicken broth into the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Step 11 –Pour the broth mixture into a heat-proof bowl.
Step 12 –Slice the sausages into 1 1/2-inch pieces.
Step 13 –Separate the sausages and the bacon.
Step 14 –In the Dutch oven, layer 1/3 of the onion rings, 1/3 of the bacon, 1/3 of the sausage slices, 1/3 of the potato slices, 1/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the ground white pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of the thyme, 1/3 of the parsley, and 1 bay leaf.
Step 15 –Repeat the layers twice more.
Step 16 –Pour the remaining chicken broth and the deglazed chicken broth mixture over the top of the potato layer.
Step 17 –Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes.
Step 18 –Cover the pot with foil and then the lid.
Step 19 –Transfer the Dutch oven to the oven and bake for 1 hour, checking to make sure there is always at least 1-inch of liquid at the bottom of the pot and adding water as needed.
Step 20 –Discard the foil and cover the Dutch oven again with the lid, continuing to bake until the onions and potatoes are soft, and the sausage is cooked through, about 1 hour-1 hour 30 minutes. You can cook for up to 5 hours if desired so long as the liquid level is maintained.
Step 21 –Uncover the Dutch oven and heat the broiler.
Step 22 –Brush the top layer of the potatoes with the reserved bacon fat.
Step 23 –Broil the potatoes until golden brown at the edges, about 7 minutes.
Step 24 –Let the coddle rest for 10 minutes.
Step 25 –Sprinkle the coddle with the extra parsley.
Step 26 –Serve with the crusty bread, discarding the bay leaves as you find them.
