Coddle belongs to Dublin the way chowder belongs to Boston. It grew up in the city's working households as a way to use up sausages, bacon and leftovers, and it turns up more than once in the pages of James Joyce. To coddle means to cook gently in liquid below the boil, and that is the whole philosophy: nothing is fried hard, and the pot spends a long time in a low oven while the potatoes soak up the pork flavor.

Dubliners argue about whether the sausages should be browned first. Many enthusiasts consider browning a cop out and accept the pale result with dignity; we brown them lightly, because it adds flavor and makes the dish easier to love at first sight. It is a forgiving, one pot meal that will wait patiently through a rain delay.

The coddle

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) Irish style pork sausages
• 8 oz (225 g) thick back bacon rashers
• 2 large yellow onions
• 2 1/2 lb (1.1 kg) floury potatoes
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 cup (30 g) fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) chicken or ham stock

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