Darina Allen: My recipes for comforting soup, soda bread, and apple crumble

Plus: The honour I received from MTU is a tribute to the many cooks, teachers, and farmers who continue to inspire me.

Simple recipes for comforting, wholesome dishes to share with your family and friends.

Recently at the Munster Technological University in Cork, I was deeply honoured to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Arts. It was presented by MTU president Maggie Cusack during the graduation ceremony of hundreds of excited students and their proud parents and friends. 

She said: “The doctorate was presented in recognition of Dr Allen’s exceptional contribution to Irish food culture, her leadership in championing sustainable farming practices, and her role in inspiring generations of chefs, producers, and food advocates in Ireland and around the world. Her impact on Irish food, culture, and education is immeasurable.

“Through her vision and dedication, she has transformed how we think about food not just as nourishment but as a way of connecting people, protecting the planet and preserving traditions. Her work exemplifies the values we strive to instil in our students: Innovation, creativity, and a deep sense of responsibility to society and the environment. We are honoured to recognise her achievements with this honorary doctorate.”

To top it all, Jimmy Deenihan, chair of the MTU governing body, stated that in his opinion, I was an original ‘influencer’ and brought the value of homegrown food and cooking to the masses — how cool was that, my cup was full!

So, as I sat there in my satin red, blue, and gold robe and black velvet hat listening to the tributes, it almost felt surreal. My mind raced back to my school days when the wonderful nuns who educated my friends and I in the mid-’60s, urged us girls to have a proper career — study law, architecture, medicine, engineering, the sciences. They appeared to be in despair, when all I seemed to want to do was to cook or garden. “You’re never going to need that my dear, you’ll have someone to cook and do your garden for you, strive to be a career woman, concentrate on a set of academic skills.”

Darina Allen was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate by Munster Technological University (MTU) recently. Picture: Joleen Cronin.

The subliminal message was loud and clear, practical life skills were of much lesser value and really were only for those who were a bit slow or unambitious. Men were chefs, women could not get into top kitchens at that time. My choice was a degree in horticulture or in the hospitality industry. I chose the latter and did hotel and catering management in Cathal Brugha St in Dublin where I accidentally heard about Myrtle Allen. This “extraordinary woman” with no official training, who in the early 1960s had opened a restaurant in her old historic house in the midst of a farm close to the sea, way out in the countryside in East Cork. Pretty revolutionary at that time.

She wrote the menu every day depending on what was in season, freshest and best on the farm and garden, in the local area and the freshly caught fish that came in from the boats in the nearby fishing village of Ballycotton.

This, by the way, was quite revolutionary at the time; chefs wrote a menu when a restaurant opened and it could be the same 10 years later.

Myrtle, on the other hand, searched for the very best local and artisan producers around the country and showcased them on the menu at a time when the word local was still a derogatory term. She reinforced my mother‘s values around real, flavourful, homegrown, and home-cooked food and spread joy from the kitchen.

I soaked up every word as I worked alongside her in Ballymaloe House kitchen, then became a member of the family by the simple expedient of marrying the boss’s son. Awards helped spread the word and cooking gradually became cool, exciting, and the way to a proper career. TV and cookbooks followed as did an abundance of opportunities. The Ballymaloe Cookery School, launched in 1983, was the opportunity to pass on the skills and philosophy to a new generation of cooks and chefs who carried the message around the globe.

So, with just one skill, considered to be of lesser value, I’ve had a wonderfully exciting and rewarding life. I’d been asked to say “a few words” to the graduates, so I urged them, no matter what their degree, masters, or PhD, to make some time to learn to cook. One thing we need to do every day is to eat, so in the words of Margaret Visser, “Much depends on Dinner.” Our energy, vitality, and ability to concentrate depends to a great extent on the quality of the food we eat.

If one can’t cook, you’re totally reliant on others to feed you, or one needs to buy a ready meal or ultra-processed foods, rarely as nutritious or delicious as what you could whip up in a couple of minutes yourself. When you have a few basic cooking skills, you’re in charge of your own health.

When you can cook, it’s one of the easiest ways to win friends and influence people. One can get a job anywhere in the world. If you can whip up a spontaneous meal, you’ll never be short of friends. After all, the way to everyone’s heart is through their tummy. My latest start-up project at 77, the Ballymaloe Organic Farm School, provides me with the opportunity to pass on the knowledge and skills from our diverse working farm and gardens which have been managed organically for almost 30 years.

The response illustrates the deep craving to relearn forgotten skills and do something with one’s hands. How wonderful that things are coming full circle at last. The honour I received from MTU is a tribute to the many cooks, teachers, and farmers who continue to inspire me.

It is heartening to see MTU place such value on sustainability, creativity, and community, which are all essential ingredients in building a better future. I warmly congratulated all the graduates, wished them well on their adventure and urged them to grasp the myriad opportunities, to go out and use their skills and knowledge to help others less fortunate and make a difference for the betterment of mankind.

Back into the kitchen for me and I joyfully share a couple of simple recipes for comforting, wholesome dishes to share with your family and friends.

Winter Leek Potato Soup

recipe by:Darina Allen

The classic winter soup loved by everyone, from tiny tots to elders.

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 30 mins

Total Time

 45 mins

Course

 Starter

Ingredients

• 50g butter

• 450g potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm dice

• 110g onion, peeled and cut into 5mm dice

• 450g white parts of the leeks, finely sliced (save the green tops for another soup or vegetable stock)

• salt and freshly ground pepper

• 850ml – 1.2 litres light homemade chicken stock

• 125ml cream

• 125ml whole milk

• To garnish

• cream

• finely chopped chives

Method

1. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, when it foams, add the diced potatoes, onions and leeks, turn them in the butter until well coated.

2. Season well, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper and toss again.

3. Cover with a paper lid (to keep in the steam) and the saucepan lid. Sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not coloured.

4. Meanwhile, heat the stock. Discard the paper lid.

5. Add 850ml* hot stock, bring back to the boil and simmer until the vegetables are just cooked. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh flavour.

6. Liquidise until smooth and silky, taste and adjust the seasoning. Add cream and creamy milk to taste.

7. You may need to add extra stock if you would prefer a thinner soup.

8. Garnish with a swirl of cream and some finely chopped fresh chives.

 

A Little White Soda Bread Loaf

recipe by:Darina Allen

You can make it in the round traditional way or like this in a loaf tin which is more convenient for slicing or sandwiches.

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 55 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 450g white flour, preferably unbleached

• 1 level tsp salt

• 1 level tsp bread soda, sour milk or buttermilk to mix – 425ml approx.

• oatmeal, sesame seeds or kibbled wheat (optional)

• 1 x 13cm x 20cm (450g) loaf tin

Method

1. First fully preheat your oven to 230°C/Gas 8.

2. Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour most of the milk in at once.

3. Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, but not too wet.

4. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Scoop it into the oiled tin, sprinkle with oatmeal and sesame seeds or kibbled wheat if you enjoy them. Place in the hot oven immediately turning down the oven to 200°C/Gas 6 for 45 minutes.

5. Remove from the tin and return the bread to the oven for a further 5-10 minutes or until fully cooked. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread: if it is cooked, it will sound hollow.

 

Apple Crumble

recipe by:Darina Allen

Easy and inexpensive to make and delicious to share, crumbles are the ultimate comfort food. Vary the fruit according to the season.

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 700g Bramley Seedling cooking apples

• 40-50g granulated sugar

• 1-2 tbsp water

• For the crumble

• 50g cold butter

• 110g white flour, preferably unbleached

• 50g caster sugar

• ¼ - ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)

• 25g chopped almonds or hazelnuts (optional)

• To serve

• softly whipped cream

• soft brown sugar

• 1.2 litre capacity pie dish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Peel the apples, cut into quarters, remove the core and cut into large cubes.

2. Turn into a pie dish. Sprinkle over the granulated sugar. Add the water.

3. Rub the butter into the flour just until the mixtureresembles coarse breadcrumbs, add the sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts if using. Sprinkle this mixture over the apple in the pie dish. Bake in a preheated oven for 30-45 minutes or until the topping is cooked and golden. Serve with softly whipped cream and soft brown sugar.
   
   Variations on the crumble
   1. 25g oat flakes or sliced hazelnuts or nibbed almonds could also be added to the crumble.
   2. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or mixed spice is also a delicious addition.

Seasonal journal

Slow Food Event with Guy Watson of Riverford Farm on November 26 at Ballymaloe Cookery School

Slow Food Ireland is delighted to host Guy Singh-Watson, a pioneer of the organic food movement in the UK and impetus behind Riverford Organic Farms who distribute over 100,000 organic vegetable boxes around the UK every week. Guy is a passionate and opinionated figure in the world of organic farming and is anxious to share the farming and business knowledge he has accumulated during the last 3 decades. He has twice been awarded the BBC Radio 4 Farmer of the Year and has built the Riverford business to give a fair deal to all growers, staff, customers and the plant.

His video rants have provided a powerful platform to do this, with a video on pesticides going viral on Facebook to reach 5.6 million views. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear this inspirational speaker.

To book, email [e-mail]

Support Local Businesses This Christmas

A seasonal remember: Let’s all make a determined effort to support local businesses, bookshops, artisan producers and bakers this Christmas. €1 spent locally can generate €4 extra in the community as opposed to €1 spent online via a well-known website…shopping locally helps to keep jobs in Irish towns and villages.