Darina Allen: I went to Armagh and fell in love with ham bon bons — here's the recipe

Among the memorable tastes of Armagh, we particularly loved the ham bonbons

Sat, 05 Sep, 2026 - 01:00

Darina Allen is co-founder of the Ballymaloe Cookery School and more recently the Ballymaloe Organic Farm School in Shanagarry, East Cork.

A RECENT Irish Food Writers’ Guild Voyage of Discovery brought us to Armagh, the Orchard County and home of the Bramley Seedling apple.

We drove past acres and acres of both old and new trees, laden with apples almost ready for harvest. Needless to say, there are many entrepreneurial businesses making a myriad of products from the famous cooking apple and the pollinators scattered through the orchards, but there is also a burgeoning artisan food sector.

Burren Balsamics was a surprising find. You’d expect it to be in County Clare, but there are several other Burrens around the country. Here, the charismatic Hamilton-Stubber family and their super-innovative team make a wide variety of small-batch balsamic vinegars from a base of white balsamic, alongside little pearls of balsamic vinegar, tiny flavour bombs of blackberry and thyme that burst deliciously in the mouth.

We also visited two cider makers, both of whom were on family farms. At Armagh Cider Company, James Mackle, a student with an impressive list of degrees, has been experimenting with small batches of iced cider aged in virgin chestnut casks and is fastidious in his quest for the perfect result.

Long Meadow Cider Farm in Portadown is a sixth-generation McKeever family farm which supplies virtually the whole of Northern Ireland with its famous apple juice, still and sparkling cider, and apple cider vinegar with its many medicinal attributes.

They continue to experiment and have recently introduced, with great success, some flavoured ciders, including their latest, a Mango Cider, for which they can scarcely keep up with the demand.

Long Meadow Farm also offers a tempting variety of tours and experiences for groups.

Another highlight was a visit to the Armagh Robinson Library, established in 1771, home to a remarkable collection of books, manuscripts and archives, including a first edition of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels and a special viewing of 18th-century cookery-related works. I could’ve stayed there all day long.

Of course, we had many memorable meals. Our first taste of Armagh was our lunch cooked over fire by Rory and his mum, Fiona, at On The Hoof, located at Annareagh Road. It was such fun to see a copy of my Forgotten Skills book on the shelf, almost in flitters from constant use. We ate many delicious dishes, including beetroot tzatziki sprinkled with marigold petals and a summer berry pavlova to die for!

Our last meal before we left was at Dante’s Deli at the Palace. Among the memorable tastes of Armagh, we particularly loved the ham bonbons, which Daniel Gallagher has kindly shared the recipe for.

We also had dinner at FE McWilliam Gallery and Studio, hosted by Quails at the Gallery, an award- winning restaurant located within the venue. It was a delicious celebration of local ingredients, artisan producers and Armagh ciders, showcasing many flavours of Northern Ireland’s Food Heartland. You need to put this venue on your list when you plan your visit.

Of course, there are lots of places to stay, but we were very comfortable, warmly looked after and enjoyed a special breakfast at the Armagh City Hotel.

A whistle-stop tour, but one that left me yearning to return to the beautiful Orchard County of Armagh.

Ham Bon Bons

recipe by:Darina Allen

Thanks to Daniel of Dante’s Deli Armagh for sharing this crunchy, irresistible and very moreish recipe

Servings

Course

Main

Ingredients

1.5kg pork knuckle
1 star anise
2 bay leaves
2 sliced white onions
1 tbsp black peppercorns
100g brown sugar
100g sweet paprika
50g salt
1 tsp whole grain mustard
1/2 tsp chilli powder
100g chopped gherkins
500ml apple juice (Long Meadow Farm)
For the breadcrumb coating
4 tbsp white flour (plain or gluten free)
1 egg, beaten
100ml whole milk
150g Panko breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Mix all dry ingredients to make a rub.
Coat the pork in mustard and cover in the dry rub.
Add chopped onions, cider and pork to an ovenproof dish. Cover and cook at 160°C (320°F) for 6 hours
Allow the pork to cool.
Shred, weigh out 60-80g of pork mix, taste for seasoning and roll into walnut size balls.
Coat the bon bons in flour, dip in egg wash and coat in breadcrumbs.
Keep in the fridge or immediately deep fry until golden brown and piping hot through. Serve with a chosen relish or chutney.

Beetroot Tzatziki

recipe by:Darina Allen

Thank you to On The Hoof for sharing this recipe.

Course

Main

Ingredients

3-4 beetroot (source a colourful selection. We love pink, amber, white and red striped)
For the tzatziki
2 cucumbers
450g thick Greek yogurt
Juice 1 small lemon
Salt
Drizzle of rapeseed oil
Fresh mint, chopped
Fresh dill, chopped

Method

Steam, roast or boil the beetroot. They are cooked when the peel will rub off easily.
Drain, allow to get cold, peel and dice.
De-seed two cucumbers and grate them into a colander, squeezing out the juice. Set aside.
Mix the drained cucumber into 450 g (500ml) thick Greek yogurt, add the juice of one small lemon. Add salt to taste and a little good olive or rapeseed oil to loosen.
Add some finely chopped mint and dill.
Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.
To finish, spread the tzatziki over the base of a wide serving dish, decorate with the beetroot dice, top with some fresh mint and dill leaves and serve.

Traditional Potato Apple Bread from Long Meadow Farm

recipe by:Darina Allen

A much-loved and traditional Armagh recipe.

Traditional Potato Apple Bread from Long Meadow Farm

Servings

Course

Main

Ingredients

175g self-raising flour
420g cold mashed potatoes
1 medium Bramley apple, peeled and thinly sliced

Method

Add flour into a mixing bowl. Gradually add in the cold cooked mashed potatoes.
Stir ingredients together to make a dough (I like to use my hands as it's easier to mix both together). If you find the mixture is too sticky add more flour.
Turn mixture out onto a floured board and knead gently into a ball shape. Divide into two pieces.
Dust a rolling pin with flour, using one piece of the mixture, roll into a circular shape about ½ inch thick.
Mark a thin slight line down the middle. Arrange the sliced Bramley Apple to one side of the circle of dough to form a couple of layers (one medium-sized apple should be enough for both servings).
Fold the other side of the mixture over the apples and seal the edges with your fingertips and cut off any excess dough. The apples should now be enclosed within the dough like an apple turnover. Repeat with the other half of the mixture.
Heat a griddle until hot, dust with flour.
Lay the potato apple bread onto the griddle for 2-3 minutes. Turn the griddle down to medium/hot. Turn over onto the other side. The potato apple bread should have now formed a light brown skin. Continue turning the bread every few minutes (you should be able to hear the cooked apples bubbling). By continually turning the potato apple bread it remains soft and prevents it becoming scored and burnt.
Take off the griddle, slice open, add lots of butter and sugar to taste.

Upcoming at Ballymaloe Cookery School

Ballymaloe Breads with Darina Allen Thursday, September 17, 2.30pm - 5.30pm

During this busy afternoon I’ll bake a variety of my favourite yeast, soda and flat breads, taking the mystery out of bread making while I bake. Recipes and taste of all breads included, limited spaces remaining.

Upcoming Ballymaloe Organic Farm School Courses include;