Coddle is comfort food; inexpensive, forgiving, and fairly easy to prepare. Often associated with the capital of Ireland, references to Dublin Coddle have been found in the works of James Joyce and other writers. Humble and heartwarming, Dublin Coddle can include many of the usual Irish suspects; potatoes, cabbage, carrots, and "bangers"–or sausage, and bacon, though some recipes leave out the cabbage and carrots. Apple sage-flavored vegan sausage stands in nicely here for bangers, and shiitake crisps, crunchy and salty, take the place of bacon. Most often made on the stove top like a stew or soup, this version is baked in the oven and uses less liquid, for a slightly drier result. A dish originally derived from end-of-the-week leftovers, this Compassionate Dublin Coddle warms the belly and soul on a cold spring night. I'm not sure if Mr. Joyce enjoyed his coddle with mustard sauce, but we sure did.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Arrange potato slices, shingle-style, in overlapping layers in the bottom of a 9-inch square casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange carrot slices over potatoes and then scatter onions over carrots. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper.
Place shredded cabbage over vegetables; sprinkle with a little more salt. Press down gently. In a small bowl or cup, mix the vegetable broth and vinegar. Carefully pour over the cabbage and vegetables in the casserole dish. Sprinkle thyme over cabbage. Cover dish with foil and place on the top rack of the oven. Bake for about an hour.
Meanwhile, line a baking tray with parchment paper and place shiitake mushrooms on the tray in a pile. Drizzle with several tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt. Toss together to coat mushrooms with salt and oil then arrange mushrooms in a single layer. Place the tray on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until mushrooms look dark brown–almost burnt, and are very crisp. Remove tray from oven and let mushrooms cool and continue to crisp.
Meanwhile, cook sausages in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat until well-browned on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
Remove casserole from oven after an hour. Check potatoes and carrots; you should be able to pierce them easily with a fork, but still feel a little resistance. Arrange the browned sausages on top of the cabbage and re-cover with foil. Place dish back in the oven for another 20 minutes. This steaming of the sausage plumps them up and makes them moist and tender.
To make the mustard sauce, whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.
Remove casserole from oven and lift foil. Check potatoes and carrots for doneness. When done, serve immediately by placing a heaping spoonful of vegetables on a plate, top with sausage, sprinkle with shiitake crisps, and drizzle with mustard sauce.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Arrange potato slices, shingle-style, in overlapping layers in the bottom of a 9-inch square casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange carrot slices over potatoes and then scatter onions over carrots. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper.
Place shredded cabbage over vegetables; sprinkle with a little more salt. Press down gently. In a small bowl or cup, mix the vegetable broth and vinegar. Carefully pour over the cabbage and vegetables in the casserole dish. Sprinkle thyme over cabbage. Cover dish with foil and place on the top rack of the oven. Bake for about an hour.
Meanwhile, line a baking tray with parchment paper and place shiitake mushrooms on the tray in a pile. Drizzle with several tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt. Toss together to coat mushrooms with salt and oil then arrange mushrooms in a single layer. Place the tray on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, until mushrooms look dark brown–almost burnt, and are very crisp. Remove tray from oven and let mushrooms cool and continue to crisp.
Meanwhile, cook sausages in a lightly oiled pan over medium heat until well-browned on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.
Remove casserole from oven after an hour. Check potatoes and carrots; you should be able to pierce them easily with a fork, but still feel a little resistance. Arrange the browned sausages on top of the cabbage and re-cover with foil. Place dish back in the oven for another 20 minutes. This steaming of the sausage plumps them up and makes them moist and tender.
To make the mustard sauce, whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl.
Remove casserole from oven and lift foil. Check potatoes and carrots for doneness. When done, serve immediately by placing a heaping spoonful of vegetables on a plate, top with sausage, sprinkle with shiitake crisps, and drizzle with mustard sauce.
