Coddle

The Hill Billy

katydid wrote: »

But the ingredients for Irish stew are fairly standard, aren't they? It appears that this coddle is basically whatever you're having yourself, done whatever way suits you. The only common denominator is rashers and sausages.

I am sure that every household would have had their own family recipe for Irish Stew back in the day when it was a more popular dish in households around the country. To be honest, it is only called 'Irish Stew' as a result of some nifty marketing targeting nostalgic US tourists back in the '60s. Before then it was probably just called 'Stew'.

Irish Stew was probably 'standardised' when some guy put one particular recipe on a souvenir tea towel being sold in Bunratty Castle.

Coddle has a set of core ingredients, but as with most homely dishes it would have traditionally been made with whatever ingredients were available to the cook. Very similar to Ministrone where the only common ingredient in any version dished up by an Italian Nonna is water.

Coddle is not haute cuisine - there is no one way that the dish must be made.

the beer revolu

katydid wrote: »

But the ingredients for Irish stew are fairly standard, aren't they? It appears that this coddle is basically whatever you're having yourself, done whatever way suits you. The only common denominator is rashers and sausages.

Coddle is a dish but there are many interpretations and variations.
I would consider coddle a more standardised dish than Irish stew - all coddle variations will contain rashers, sausages, potatoes and water. After that there seems to be a few optional ingredients : carrots, onions, celery, tomatoes etc. A pretty standardised dish imo.

Irish stew, on the other hand seems to be far less standardised with regard to ingredients. I have a very strong view that Irish stew is an unbrowned, mostly unthickened, lamb or mutton stew with optional vegetables of choice and/or barley but I've seen thickened, brown beef stew called Irish stew - both in restaurants and by people here.

In comparison, coddle is written in stone.

charlietheminxx

I don't even put potatoes in my coddle! It's definitely a varied recipe, though mine is simple enough. I make it like my nana used to and I always think of her when I make it! best served with batch loaf.

Tilly

Rashers, sausages, onions and spuds. That's our coddle. My friends Mam puts tomatoes in hers too. Sometimes i throw in chillis if i want a kick. There's so many diff types

MissFlitworth

Charlie19 wrote: »

Never heard of tomatoes in a coddle but I will throw a can in on my next pot.

To throw a spanner in the works - I think tinned tomatoes would be all wrong My mam only ever uses 'real' tomatoes in heres, it doesnt turn out to be very tomato-y, just a adds a slight tartness rather than a rasher & sausage bolognese vibe. Although maybe other people do use tinned tomatoes!

Dizzyblonde

I agree on the tinned tomatoes issue. My mother only ever put in 2 or 3 fresh tomatoes. Tinned ones would overpower the whole thing.

Like stew, coddle varies from one family to another. My grandmother used to say that you should never say accept stew or Christmas pudding in someone's house because what is delicious to one family is vile to another. This was sound advice that I should have heeded when offered previously unseen Christmas pudding many years ago. The family's recipe didn't include steeping it overnight - it was a peculiar shade of khaki and tasted very strange

Saganist

Another one for not using tinned tomatoes, a handful of ripe cherry tomatoes is the way to go. They disintegrate into the soup and just add a nice taste. Tinned tomatoes would turn it into something other than a coddle.

Charlie19

MissFlitworth wrote: »

To throw a spanner in the works - I think tinned tomatoes would be all wrong My mam only ever uses 'real' tomatoes in heres, it doesnt turn out to be very tomato-y, just a adds a slight tartness rather than a rasher & sausage bolognese vibe. Although maybe other people do use tinned tomatoes!

I wouldn't rule out a whole tin thrown in with the coddle, I find a tin of tomatoes works very well with a lot of soups and stews. It wouldn't even bring it close to a bolognese.

eisenberg1

Saganist wrote: »

Another one for not using tinned tomatoes, a handful of ripe cherry tomatoes is the way to go. They disintegrate into the soup and just add a nice taste. Tinned tomatoes would turn it into something other than a coddle.

Charlie19 wrote: »

I wouldn't rule out a whole tin thrown in with the coddle, I find a tin of tomatoes works very well with a lot of soups and stews. It wouldn't even bring it close to a bolognese.

Careful now, you will have the coddle cops after ya:D

BaZmO*

I was talking to the mammy earlier and I was asking her about how she used to make coddle when we were younger (been years since I've had it).
Seems like she's changed the recipe since then, but I thought it was funny that my sister was telling her that she was making it wrong, even though she would've learned how to make it from her!

We got into a discussion about all the different ways that her friends and neighbours used to make it, using stock, or vegetable soup, just water, bacon bits or pork skirt or rashers etc.

She mentioned an interesting one that I'd never heard of, a Breakfast Coddle. Apparently it's a broth like dish with just bacon and sausages (no potatoes) and served with poached eggs.
She said that it was quite a common dish from the Liberties (where she's from).

So there ya go, proof that Coddle is a mental dish!

Toulouse

So I haven't had coddle in years (an ex's Mum used to make it) but this thread is giving me a serious craving for it!

There were no tomatoes in her recipe, just sausage, bacon, onion, potato and pepper from what I can remember. And always served with batch loaf!

May have to try to recreate. Mmmm boiled sausies....(we need a drooling smilie!!)

Mystery Egg

My mam always made coddle when there was leftover bacon or ham from a dinner. She'd chop or shred this, and it would go in the pot with sausages, onions, carrots, potatoes, water, salt and pepper. She also would add sliced kidneys! She's the only person I've ever known to do this. I wasn't crazy about the addition of kidneys but was happy enough to eat them. The dish would get a sprinkle of parsley at the end to stave off the ugliness.

Delicious all the same.

Tarzana2

MissFlitworth wrote: »

If it was actually 'gross' you wouldn't get so many people scrapping over what the 'right' recipe is

Like any meal, there would be people who do find it gross. I think for a dish like coddle, that amount of people would be higher than most. Don't underestimate the importance of aesthetics to many people's enjoyment of food.

Me, I've never been too convinced by it. I always imagine it will be nicer than it is. I love salty food but even if I don't add any salt, I find it too damn salty usually. And there's nothing worse than flabby bacon fat so if I add them, they'll be grilled or fried first. Boiled sausages are nice though.

I love stews, soups, rashers, sausages. I feel I should love this dish. But I don't.

The Hill Billy

That said, MissF's point still stands.

To me, it is like one of those weird scientific paradoxes...
The greater the 'ickyness' from non-coddle lovers - the greater the love of coddle by coddle fans, squared.

As a life-long coddle fan, I couldn't give a thrupenny bit if people don't like it. Each to their own.

Tarzana2

The Hill Billy wrote: »

That said, MissF's point still stands.

But clearly a fair few people do find it gross! And I'm not sure it's a 'you love it or hate it thing' (hate that phrase!). I'd be in the indifferent camp.

But it involves boiling sausages and rashers, and doesn't look good, and to some doesn't taste good. Ms. F said that it's not actually gross but to some it clearly is and understandably so, IMO. The fact that others love it doesn't really change that.

Tarzana2

The Hill Billy wrote: »

Maybe we shouldn't be so enthusiastic about our beloved dish lest we offend others?

I don't believe anyone is offended? People can love it if they want. But it's the kind of meal where I can see people being totally put off it. Is the thread only supposed to be for people who love it? Because if so, that wasn't clear.

Gavin "shels"

Tomatoes........ in a coddle??? Mother of God!!

Back bacon pieces and skinless sausages from Meath St, an onion, few spuds and half a pot of water! That's generations old Liberties style!

MissFlitworth

My Jame's Gate Mammy & her parents insist that coddle contains tomatoes Also sausages with skin on (which I would be all in favour of swapping out for skinless sausages. Never been a big fan of boiled sausage skin). However, her sister puts a piece of ham in the pot instead of rashers so it just goes to show that even within the one household there can be Coddle Factions.

galljga1

Had it once. All I could taste was pepper and salt and it looked like a bowl of boiled mickeys.

Tilly

Ma Tilly is from the country and learned to make coddle from my friends Mam (not that there's much to learn). I'm going over to hers for dinner tomorrow and she asked my what i fancied. I told her coddle and she winced I'm the golden child so i'll get my coddle

earlytobed

CiaranC has a great post on Coddle in this old thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054885861&page=3

When I served in Lebanon with a Dublin platoon coddle was often on the menu. It took a bit of getting used to but I was often glad of it on a cold day in the hills. Have never eaten it since, though, might give it a go

J Mysterio

galljga1 wrote: »

Had it once. All I could taste was pepper and salt and it looked like a bowl of boiled mickeys.

:pac:

eisenberg1

earlytobed wrote: »

CiaranC has a great post on Coddle in this old thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054885861&page=3

Brilliant:D:D:D

The Hill Billy

A legendary post indeed!

I had forgotten the layering aspect. My Nan (from Oxmantown Road - not Prussia Street ) used to do it that way.

rawn

I use baby potatoes in my coddle when i want it brothy, and regular potatoes when i want it soupy. Never used tomatoes BUT i always add a few small dots of ketchup to my bowl, it's DELISH but my friends always act like I've offended their ancestors when i tell them that!

Tilly

Tilly wrote: »

Ma Tilly is from the country and learned to make coddle from my friends Mam (not that there's much to learn). I'm going over to hers for dinner tomorrow and she asked my what i fancied. I told her coddle and she winced I'm the golden child so i'll get my coddle

It was amazing! I need my fat pants now

Charlie19

Made this last night and these are the ingredients that I intended to use.

[IMG][/img]20150330_150702 by bigcharlie19, on Flickr

The leftover mash from Sunday gave it a lovely consistency but I didn't use the leftover chicken as I thought it mighten be too safe for reheating the coddle.

I had the remains of it tonight and It was delicious.

[IMG][/img]20150331_150426 by bigcharlie19, on Flickr

eisenberg1

Chicken in a coddle, well la di da.

Just does not go.

Charlie19

eisenberg1 wrote: »

Chicken in a coddle, well la di da.

Just does not go.

Raw chicken on the bone boiled from the start would provide a lovely stock.

MrWalsh

eisenberg1 wrote: »

Chicken in a coddle, well la di da.

Just does not go.

Any leftovers were welcome in my house, although in saying that we mostly had chips beans and eggs on a Friday so we didn't tend to have leftovers for Saturdays coddle.