Founder of the renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, Dame Darina Allen is an award-winning chef, author, and champion of sustainable Irish food traditions. Her passion for real ingredients, heritage recipes, and empowering the next generation of cooks continues to inspire food lovers around the world.
If you hadn’t taken the career path you’re on now, what do you think you’d be doing instead?
A gardener.
What’s been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Despite receiving an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Ulster at Coleraine and serving as Adjunct Professor within the Centre of Adult Continuing Education and the Department of Folklore and Ethnology at University College Cork, it has to be being honoured by my home county of Laois and being named Laois Person of the Year in 1993!
What does being part of LDE mean to you, and what would you say to someone thinking about joining?
I’m honoured to be invited to be part of this network of inspirational women.
What five ingredients do you always have stocked in your fridge or pantry?
Extra virgin olive oil, sardines, anchovies, homemade butter from our own herd of Jersey cows, and flaky sea salt.
What’s your all-time favourite cookbook, and what makes it special to you?
Jane Grigson’s Good Things — it was a present from my husband for our first Christmas together in 1970.
What’s your go-to comfort food when you’re feeling under the weather, and why does it hit the spot?
Soggy white yeast bread slathered with Jersey butter, dipped in homemade chicken broth.
If you could only drink one thing (besides water) for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Fresh organic raw milk from our small herd of Jersey cows.
What’s the most unforgettable meal you’ve ever had, and what made it so special?
My unforgettable meal brings me back to Chiapas, Mexico. We had sailed up the Usumacinta River in a dugout canoe to explore the ancient Maya city of Yaxchilan. When we returned — hot and battle-weary — some local women had cooked spicy minced meat and rice over an open fire in the hollow ground. The flavours were incredible, and the icy-cold Coca-Cola we drank with it tasted divine! They may have used epazote and homegrown dried chillies, though communication was limited — we just shared appreciative smiles and sounds. The flavour still lingers in my mind.
What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten, and would you ever eat it again?
Scorpion — deep-fried and crunchy! Been there, done that.
If you could only use one kitchen appliance for an entire meal, which would you pick, and what would you cook?
An oven and roasting tin. I’d make something from my One Pot Feeds All cookbook — perhaps Chicken Wings with Tomato, Pepper and Harissa Potatoes or Bread and Butter Pudding.
What kitchen gadget or tool could you never live without?
My coil whisk — many chefs are quite sniffy about it, but it’s my desert-island essential!
If you could instantly master any cooking technique, which one would you choose?
Kouign-amann.
If there was a cocktail named after you, what would it be called, and what would it taste like?
Simply Delicious.
Find out more:
🌐 www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie
📸 Instagram: @ballymaloecookeryschool | @darina_allen