Dublin Recipes

Dublin Coddle

Although this hearty dish is best made with a good stock—water in which a ham or ham bone has been boiled—a light stock cube will work as a substitute.

Ingredients:

1 pound sausage meat
8 ounces bacon
1 cup stock or water
6 medium potatoes
2 medium onions
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cut the bacon and sausage into inch chunks. Peel the potatoes and cut into thick slices. Skin the onions and slice them thinly.

Heat the stock or water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add all the ingredients to the pot, and simmer gently for about an hour. Salt and pepper to taste, and serve piping hot.

Servings: Serves four

Irish Stew

Traditionally Irish stew is made with mutton, but if they don’t have that at your local supermarket, stewing beef will work just fine.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 lb boned mutton or beef
3-4 large potatoes
1-2 large onions
3-4 medium carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
Handful of fresh parsley
2 cups water or broth
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Cut the meat into good size chunks. Peel the potatoes and carrots, and slice thickly. Chop the parsley. Heat the oil in the pot. Add the meat and brown. Add the remaining ingredients, including enough stock or broth to cover. Keep the remaining liquid to add if needed later. Cover and simmer on very low heat for about 2 1/2 hours until the meat is tender and the potatoes have thickened the liquid.

Servings: Serves four

Soda Bread

Popular throughout Ireland, this bread is frequently made fresh for breakfast or afternoon tea.

Ingredients:

4 cups plain flour (traditional wheat flour may be substituted)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
14 ounces buttermilk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425ºF (215ºC).

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Gradually add the buttermilk just to the point where you have a sticky dough. Working quickly, knead the dough lightly for two to four minutes—don’t over-knead, as that will cause the bread to be tough.

Form a round low loaf, and place it on a lightly floured baking sheet. Traditionally, you would cut a cross in the top with a floured knife. Do not leave it to rise—put it on a high shelf in the oven, and bake for 30-45 minutes.

When finished, the loaf will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom with your knuckles. Wrap immediately in a clean tea towel to prevent the crust from hardening too much.

Servings: Creates one loaf