Dublin Coddle

Thank god it is St. Patrick's Day because I am ready to move on to eating food that isn't mainly cabbage and potatoes. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy such dishes, but I like a lot of diversity in my food and a lot of color. My Irish themed dishes as of late have been so beige and starchy, leaving me with that after Thanksgiving dinner stomach feel. On to lighter and brighter meals! (tomorrow that is)
In the meantime, a Dublin Coddle was on the table for dinner tonight with a few different twists of my own to spice up an otherwise boring dish. Traditionally this dish is boiled then steamed. That just seems like an incredibly boring and flavorless way to eat a meal! Here I added a different cooking technique that takes the same amount of time but really adds much more flavor.

Potatoes, turnips, vegan sausage and caramelized onions slow simmered in vegetable broth and apple cider until tender. Serve with some crusty bread or Irish soda bread for dipping in the juices.

Dublin Coddle
serves 2-3
3 tbl extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, thinly sliced halves
2 vegan sausages, medium slices ( I used Tofurkey Kielbasa)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbl chopped, fresh rosemary
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
1 medium sized russet potato, 1/4" slices
1 medium sized turnip, peeled, 1/4" slices
1 cup sparkling apple cider
3 tbl chopped, fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 425.
Heat the oil in a dutch oven or a deep sided saute pan that can go in the oven. Add the onions and pan fry until soft with golden brown edges, 7-10 minutes. Add the sausage and garlic and cook 5 minutes more to crisp up the sausage. Season with rosemary, cayenne, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add the vegetable broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits off the bottom. Add the potato, turnip and apple cider and bring to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven for 45 minutes. Check after 30 to make sure the pot has not dried out. If so add more broth. You don't want it soupy, just enough moisture so the bottom doesn't scorch.
Taste and season with more salt and pepper and garnish with chives.