Dia daoibh a chaidre! (Hello friends!) 

If you are planning a trip to Ireland, make sure you keep your eyes peeled for coddle.  Sometimes referred to as Dublin coddle, this hearty stew dates back to the 1700s and consists of sausages, rashers (or bacon as it is known in the States), potatoes and onions. When Catholics used to abstain from eating meat on Fridays, this meal served as a way for leftover meat to be used up before the weekend.

While coddle is a tasty one-pot meal, I thought it would be fun to put a Southwestern spin on this traditional Irish dish.  Instead of regular link sausages, I used jalapeno sausages and added a chipotle pepper, cumin and cilantro.  Do not let the chipotle pepper scare you off.  It produces a subtle, smoky spice that flavors the broth and veggies.  If you fancy Irish fare but are looking for a new dish to try, my Southwestern coddle will add some spice and delight your Celtic taste buds.  Enjoy!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 t. beef base or beef bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup (240 ml) water

1 T. vegetable oil

1 lb. (450 g.) jalapeno sausages (or other spicy sausage)

1 lb. (450 g.) bacon cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lb. (450 g.) potatoes cut into large pieces

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces

1 large onion, sliced

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce

1 c. (240 ml) Dos Equis amber (or other dark beer)

Salt & pepper

2 t. cumin

2 T. chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF/177ºC and place rack in center of the oven.
2. Dissolve 1 t. beef base or beef bouillon cube in 1 cup (240 ml) water and set aside.
3. In a dutch oven or other oven safe skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausages and cook just long enough to brown the outside.  You do not want to completely cook the sausages as they will continue to cook in the oven. Once browned, remove sausages and place on a paper towel, draining off excess oil. Cut sausage links into two inch pieces and set aside.
4. Add bacon to skillet and cook for about 2 minutes.  Remove half of bacon and set aside.
5. In the following order, layer half of sausage, potatoes, carrots and then onions into dutch oven.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Add remaining ingredients by layering in a similar fashion.  Place chipotle pepper on top and sprinkle with cumin, salt and pepper.  Pour beef base and beer on top and then place lid on dutch oven.
7. Place dish in oven and cook for about 45 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Remove from oven, sprinkle chopped cilantro on top and serve with crusty bread.  

Notes:

If you prefer a more traditional coddle, simply omit the chipotle pepper, cumin and substitute traditional sausages.  Additionally, you may use fresh parsley in place of the cilantro.  For readers in the U.K., coriander is the equivalent of cilantro in the U.S.  

Originally published in the January-February 2017 edition of The Desert Shamrock. www.desertshamrock.com