3 lb Lamb chops from the neck 2 lb Potatoes 1 lb Onions, sliced 1 T Parsley, chopped 1 x Pinch thyme 1 x Salt and pepper 10 fl Stock Trim the meat of bone, fat and gristle, then cut into fairly large pieces. Layer the meat and the vegetables in a deep pan, seasoning each layer well, and ending with potatoes. Pour in the stock and cover with a piece of buttered foil, then the lid, and bake in a slow oven, 300F, for about 2 hours. Or, if preferred, on the top of the stove, shaking teh pan from time to time to prevent sticking. Add a very little more liquid if needed.
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Coddle is a Doddle!
My variation on a traditional Dublin dish, Coddle, standard fare of the Dublin working class for centuries. (See below)
While it is so very simple to make and therefore practically impossible to screw up, I did use too many potatoes this time. Half as many would have been perfect. That much potato, simply halved instead of quartered as I did here, will give you something more like the 'proper' Coddle my mother makes, with a much thinner liquid body to it. But, as I said, even this tasted mighty. A perfect dish for either lazy or busy people (ideal for students!). And don't let the phallic appearance of the sausages put you off!
If anyone knows of any variations on this dish from those strange lands that exist beyond the confines of Dublin, I'd love to hear about them. Also, if you try it be sure to let me know how you got on.
Kitchen Front by Ian McArdle
During World War II, with imports disrupted and a population under attack, food became a front line of its own: the ‘kitchen front’. From its earliest months, the war saw households disrupted, more people working longer hours, and food increasingly difficult and time-consuming to obtain. When food rationing was introduced in January 1940, with fixed amounts of household staples (sugar, tea, cheese, meat, etc) and only limited purchases of canned or packet goods, how people - and it was mostly women - coped, not simply with food rationing itself, but food buying, food preparation and food economy, would be a key factor in maintaining day-to-day morale.