Darina Allen: Four recipes from my Ballymaloe students you have to try

"The Ballymaloe Cookery School students' Pop-Up dinner occurs just three times a year, a delicious multi-ethnic event with a different theme each time. On this occasion, it was Carpe Diem… live in the moment."

Some of the Ballymaloe students' pop-up recipes

Last weekend on a balmy summer’s evening, we had a wonderfully convivial event here at the Ballymaloe Cookery School. The Certificate Course students put on their fundraiser Pop-Up dinner.

This time proceeds were divided between the Seva Mandir India Fund and The Marmalade Project, a charity launched by Belinda Davies, a current student whose Mum died tragically from a stroke a couple of years ago.

The Ballymaloe Cookery School students Pop-Up dinner occurs just three times a year, a delicious multi-ethnic event with a different theme each time. 

This one was Carpe Diem, live in the moment, a celebration of the bounty of fresh produce in season at present on the farm and in the gardens. 

With a little guidance from Rory O’Connell, Pamela Black and Gary Masterson, the three-month students planned and orchestrated the entire event.

They designed the menu, tested and retested recipes, created the artwork, designed the table setting, picked and arranged fresh flowers from the garden. 

They churned the butter from our Jersey cream and added nasturtiums to make a feisty butter to accompany five freshly baked breads: rosemary and roasted garlic soda bread; potato and spring onion sourdough; turmeric and black pepper sourdough; caraway, nigella and fennel seed
sourdough and a three-day focaccia.

Others designed and filled goody bags for guests to take home as a memento. 

Guests were greeted with a glass of elderflower fizz and some innovative canapés to nibble on. 

Smoked cod gougère, chive and pickled cucumber; beetroot, piccalilli and goat cheese; and summer roll with peanut satay.

The starter was a fresh tasting salad of nectarine, buffalo mozzarella, anchovy, candied lemon. 

This was followed by a beetroot sorbet garnished with pretty pink elderflowers. 

Organic harissa chicken, courgette, tabbouleh, Irish cherries, lemon yoghurt followed with the dandelion coffee panna cotta with nougatine biscuit and caramelised milk skins quite the revelation.

Then to cap it all, a selection of four delicious petit fours, each created by a different student: Dark chocolate truffle, pistachio, fennel seed; almond, elderflower, gooseberry; fresh strawberry fool and raspberry macarons.

Planning and execution went on for over five weeks. It’s a brilliant learning experience for students who soon realise how much advance planning is needed for a successful event. 

One student, Fionn, wrote a poem for the menu, and two others, Luisa and Tyler, provided musical entertainment as guests went from the welcome marquee into the midsummer’s feast.

We were super proud of our students and lecturers who got a spontaneous standing ovation at the end of the meal from the 70 plus guests. 

The students (15 nationalities) were thrilled. It’s worth noting many had done little or no cooking nine weeks ago… a fantastic achievement. They kindly share the recipes for some of the dishes here.

Heini Lanthaler’s Nectarine, Buffalo Mozzarella, Anchovy & Candied Lemon

recipe by:Darina Allen

Heini from Meran in Italy created this delicious summery starter – it got a rave review

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 10 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 2 nectarines

• 2 buffalo mozzarella

• 10 anchovies, halved lengthwise

• lemon zest

• candied lemon peel (crunchy)

• lemon oil made with 250ml olive oil, zest from 1 lemon and 3-4 lemon balm leaves (allow to marinate in the oil for 3 or 4 days before using)

• a few mint leaves and cornflowers if available

Method

1. Cut the unpeeled nectarines into 10 equal wedges. Slice the mozzarella about 2cm thick. Arrange the nectarine and mozzarella slices in a wheel pattern on a serving plate, lay an anchovy half over each piece of mozzarella. Sprinkle with freshly grated lemon zest and candied lemon peel. Drizzle with lemon oil and garnish with some fresh mint leaves or cornflowers if available.

Hilary Van Leeuwen & Eline Teunissen's Beetroot Sorbet

recipe by:Darina Allen

Hilary from Australia and Eline from Rotterdam magicked up this fresh tasting sorbet with the beets from the farm.

Servings

10

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 150g sugar

• 150ml water

• 440ml beetroot juice, from peeled beets

• 20ml lemon juice

• 60ml liquid glucose

• 2 gelatine leaves

• Garnish

• pink elderflowers if available

• sprigs of sweet cicely or mint

Method

1. Put the sugar and water into a saucepan. Stir over a medium heat to dissolve, boil into a syrup. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly. Add the sugar syrup to the beetroot juice, freshly squeezed lemon juice and liquid glucose. It should be slightly sweeter than you would like it. (It will lose some of its sweetness during freezing).

2. Soften the gelatine leaves by soaking in cold water (3-4 minutes), squeeze out any excess water and add to the beetroot mix.

3. If the mixture is too cool to melt the gelatine, it can be warmed slightly on the stove.

4. Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker until it is softly frozen then freeze.

5. To Serve: Scoop into individual bowls and drizzle with a squeeze of lemon and decorate with pink elderflowers if available and a sprig of sweet cicely or fresh mint.

Bryce Wyman’s Dandelion Coffee Panna Cotta, Nougatine Biscuit, Caramelised Milk Skins

recipe by:Darina Allen

Bryce comes from Alberta in Canada and his dandelion coffee panna cotta was a revelation. Omit the caramelised milk skin if you are short on time.

Servings

8

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• For the panna cotta

• 600ml cream

• 50g sugar

• 50g dandelion coffee (roasted dandelion root - available to buy in health food shop, we sourced it from Well & Good in Midleton www.corkhealthstore.com)

• pinch of salt

• 2 gelatine sheets

• For the nougatine biscuits

• 87g mixed nuts

• 75g sugar

• ⅜ tsp apple pectin

• 67g butter

• 25g glucose syrup

• 1 tsp water

• For the Irish coffee sauce

• 87g sugar

• 35ml water

• 115ml coffee

• ½ tbsp whiskey

• For the caramelised milk skins

• 8 tbsp milk

• pinch of salt

• 8 teacups

Method

1. First make the panna cotta: Put the cream, sugar, dandelion coffee and salt into a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Soften the gelatine sheets in a little water, drain well and add to the saucepan. Stir and pour into the moulds, cover and allow to set overnight.

2. To make the nougatine biscuits: Chop the nuts to a semi-coarse texture. Combine the remaining ingredients and cook on a low heat until the mixture is melted and smooth. Add the nuts.

3. Preheat the oven to 190°C and bake until golden caramel in colour (10 minutes approx.). As the biscuits cool, cut into shards.

4. To make the coffee sauce: Put the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir until the sugar dissolves and the water comes to the boil. Remove the spoon and do not stir again until the syrup turns a pale golden caramel. Then add the coffee and put back on the heat to dissolve. Allow to cool and add the whiskey.

5. To make the milk skins: Add enough milk to cover the bottom of a non-stick saucepan. Add the a pinch of salt. Allow to boil and bubble until it collapses (be patient). Allow to caramelise on the bottom of the pan and peel off with a spatula while hot.

6. To serve: Pour 1 dessertspoon of Irish coffee sauce over the panna cotta. Top with a little softly whipped cream, nougatine shard and milk skin.

Noor ter Meer's Dark Chocolate Truffles with Pistachio &Fennel

recipe by:Darina Allen

Noor from Amsterdam created this irresistible petit four to nibble with an espresso after dinner. The truffles are best eaten cold.

Servings

25

Course

 Dessert

Ingredients

• 225g dark chocolate (we use 62% chocolate)

• 225ml cream

• 50g pistachios

• 5g fennel seeds

Method

1. First make the ganache. Put the cream and chocolate in a Pyrex bowl, sit over a saucepan of water. Bring to the boil, making sure the water does not touch the base of the bowl, turn off and remove the saucepan from the heat immediately. Allow the chocolate to melt over the residual heat. Remove the bowl from the pan and gently stir the chocolate mixture until smooth. Cool, then cover and chill until set.

2. Meanwhile, make the coating for the truffles. Finely chop the pistachios. Toast the fennel seeds in a dry pan for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Grind the fennel seeds finely in a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder.

3. Combine the fennel and pistachio in a bowl and mix well. Scoop a teaspoon of ganache, roll the ganache into a ball with cool hands. Drop the truffle into the fennel and pistachio mixture to coat well. If the ganache becomes too warm to roll, put it in the freezer for a few minutes and proceed to roll the truffles in batches.

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