Start by cutting the 2 yellow onions into rings and peel and slice 2 pounds of Russet potatoes. If you have a mandolin, this is a great time to use it and slice both about a ¼” to ½” thick. It’s not necessary, but useful in keeping everything uniform so that it cooks evenly. If using Irish rashers or Canadian bacon, slice into roughly ½” x 1” pieces and set aside.
Set a 5–6-quart Dutch oven on the stove on medium heat. Add half the onions and bacon on the bottom and top with ½ the thyme and ⅓ of the parsley. Layer half the potatoes on top of that and season with salt and black pepper. Layer again with the rest of the onions and bacon, the rest of the thyme and another ⅓ of the parsley, reserving the rest to add when serving. Add the rest of the potatoes, again with some salt and pepper, and place 1 pound pork sausages, uncut, on top of everything.
Now pour in 4 cups chicken stock (or whatever you choose to use) and turn the heat to high. If you prefer the dish a little soupier, add an extra 2 cups of water or stock. The liquid level will seem kind of low, but the onions and potatoes will break down and sink as it cooks and be much wetter than it seems at first. The sausages should be resting at the top, just above the liquid so that they can steam. When it comes to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer.
Cook, covered, for 45 minutes to an hour. You can also cook for 30 minutes covered and uncover it and cook on low another 30 minutes to reduce some of the liquid if it is too soupy for your liking. Remove the sausages and slice into chunks and return to the pot. Ladel into bowls and serve immediately with a bit of the leftover parsley to garnish.
Alternatively, and suggested, allow the stew to cool completely and then refrigerate. Reheat portions on the stove when ready to serve.
1) Sausage – If you can find Irish bangers, that’s ideal for this recipe. Check local butchers or grocery stores that make their own sausage. If you can’t find any, look for uncooked quality pork sausages like pork bratwurst.2) Bacon – Irish rashers are what would traditionally go here, and if you can find them, go with that. The closest substitute would be Canadian bacon in the US, but you can also just use some thick cut bacon if you want (because of the way this is cooked, I recommend Canadian bacon first though). If using Canadian bacon, its typically sold in 6oz packages. The recipe calls for a half pound, but 2oz short is fine.3) Stock – Originally simmered in water and salt, using stock or broth is much more common these days. Use chicken or vegetable stock/broth, but if you can find or make it, ham stock is also common and delicious.I hate to say “to taste” with salt and pepper, but the amount of salt you use here will really depend on what liquid you cook with. Between water, unsalted broth, low sodium broth, or regular broth/stock, you’ll want to adjust how much salt you add. You can always add more near the end of the cooking time.4) Browning – Considered a cop-out by traditionalists, browning the ingredients before cooking undeniably adds a new layer of flavor to this recipe. Since the sausages and rashers don’t render out much fat, you may want to add a bit of oil or Irish butter to the pot before browning them.Brown the sausages first, then the bacon, removing both after browning. Add the onions and cook until they get some color, then add everything in like normal and cook as directed.