Darina Allen: Three recipes from my newest students' Ballymaloe pop-up dinner

Irish Examiner

26-07-2025

The Ballymaloe Cookery School was rocking last week, with great excitement when the 12-Week students cooked their Pop-Up Dinner.
This is a highlight of every term, they plot and plan and have many get-togethers to choose a theme: this year, it was Ambrosia.
They divide responsibilities, create a menu, allocate different jobs and do everything from scratch.
It's a brilliant learning experience for them, they have so much fun planning every single aspect of the event; from the welcome cocktails, to the little goodie bags of homemade treats for guests to take home.
We've been doing these pop-ups for a number of years now. They sell out like a U2 concert.
It's a fantastic learning experience for the students, and gives them an understanding of just how much thought and hard work goes into planning an event.
Tabby from London took on the role of head chef. Five canapés were chosen to reflect what was in season in the gardens and on the farm and the produce they could source in the local area.
Sorrel and mead glazed pork meatballs used mead from the Fermentation HQ, made from a recipe in the Forgotten Skills book.
Crunchy new-season cucumber coins with fresh herb labneh; hot smoked mackerel and pickle sea fennel. The wild fennel was foraged along the seashore in Shanagarry, then pickled for the perky garnish.
Nettle, green onion and goat's cheese croquettes with saffron honey and whipped lemon ricotta and a sedum leaf with ricotta, mint and peas. The succulent sedum leaves came from the borders in the flower garden.
Ricotta was made in the dairy from the milk of the little Jersey herd on the farm. In the interest of full disclosure, the peas were a well-known frozen brand, but the end result was absolutely delicious, and has become one of our favourite bites.
They had hoped to catch the mackerel themselves, but there has scarcely been a mackerel caught in Ballycotton so far this summer — so they bought the fish from Ballycotton Seafood, and hot-smoked it themselves.
The students love making bread, and of the many types they learned, they chose to make little loaves of Guinness bread and sourdough focaccia from the organic heirloom wheat variety grown on the farm last year, to serve with the hand-churned Jersey butter.
I adore crudo, but one must have super-fresh fish, which it has to be said is more and more of a challenge these days, but Lucca managed to get some spanking fresh haddock to make the whitefish crudo with golden beetroot, nasturtium and a lemon honey reduction.
He put little dots of homemade nasturtium oil from the herb garden on top, a deliciously fresh-tasting combination.
Eve butchered and boned the lamb for the roast loin of lamb with saffron mashed potatoes, salsa verde, dukkah and roast vegetable crisps.
The vegetarian option was spiced aubergines with St. Tola goat's cheese, rocket and dukkah and of course there was a Ballymaloe Cookery School garden salad, with lots of edible flower petals sprinkled on top.
They had fun digging the potatoes, picking and harvesting the organic vegetables from the kitchen garden and tunnel.
For dessert, there was cultured panna cotta, nougatine, poached apricots, lemon verbena and a little glass of Sauternes.
For those who had a little space left, a whole array of delicious, irresistible petit fours.
A phenomenal amount of work went into the meal and the guests seemed to love every mouthful.
The students were thrilled with the response and gained considerable experience and confidence from the exercise.
Rory O'Connell guided the kitchen on the night, while senior tutor Richard Healy headed up the ace team in the dining room.
Money raised was divided between three charities: The Slow Food educational project; Mustard Seed Communities Ireland, a charity dedicated to caring for the most vulnerable members of society in Jamaica, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Zimbabwe, and Malawi; and Ripple Effect, an inspirational NGO working with subsistence farmers in Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia and Burundi.
Special thanks to the students for sharing their recipes. Hope you'll enjoy them as much as we did.
Sedum Leaf with a Whipped Lemon Ricotta & Peas
recipe by:Darina Allen
70 fresh sedum leaves will make 70 canapés.
Preparation Time 
15 mins
Cooking Time 
1 mins
Total Time 
16 mins
Course 
Main
Ingredients 70 fresh sedum leaves
For the whipped ricotta:
450g approx. of ricotta cheese
4 - 5 tbsp cream
drizzle of olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
a1 whole bag of frozen petit pois
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Rind and a little freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1 lemon
a few fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
flaky sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Method
Whip ricotta in food processor with cream and a little olive oil. Season with flaky sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Fold in the lemon zest. Fill the mixture into a piping bag.
Cook the peas in boiling water for 45 seconds. Take out and plunge into ice cold water.
Dress the peas with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a few drops of lemon juice and season to taste. Careful not to put lemon juice on too early or the peas will discolour.
Pipe the ricotta onto sedum leaves. Spoon 6-8 peas on top of each and garnish with mint and sprinkle with a few flakes of sea salt.
White Fish & Golden Beet Crudo with Nasturtium, Lemon & Honey
recipe by:Darina Allen
1 fillet of fish yields 20 slices - serves 4 with 5 slices per serving.
Servings
4
Course 
Main
Ingredients For the crudo:
1 whole fresh white fish (haddock or pollock preferred)
For the golden beet:
2 golden beetroots (possibly 4, depending on size)
For the lemon vinaigrette:
4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
6 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
a generous pinch of caster sugar
a generous pinch of salt
a generous pinch of chilli powder
For the golden beet water and honey reduction:
100ml of reserved golden beet cooking water
1 dsp of honey
zest of ½ lemon
2 tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the nasturtium oil:
150g of nasturtium leaves
325ml of a neutral oil such as sunflower
2 level tsp of salt
muslin cloth
Method
For the crudo:
Keep the fish as chilled as possible and descale if necessary.
Filet the fish keeping skin attached, place skin side down on a chopping board.
Cut 1cm thick slices straight down until you are about to touch the skin, slide the slice off the skin towards the tail. Continue until there is no fish left on the skin.
Arrange slices on parchment paper on a tray in the fridge till ready to serve.
For the golden beet:
Boil the beets in boiling water from 30-50 minutes (small beets 30 minutes; medium 40 minutes; large 50 minutes) – reserve the cooking water for the reduction. Remove the beetroot from the water, allow to cool and rub off the skin.
Allow to come to room temp then chill. On a mandolin, cut to a 3mm thickness.
Lay out on a tray and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the lemon vinaigrette:
In a bowl, whisk all the ingredients until combined.
For the golden beet water and honey reduction:
Combine the beet water with honey then reduce on a high heat until it becomes syrupy, 8-15 minutes approx.
Add the lemon zest and juice to the reduction.
For the nasturtium oil:
In a blender add 150g of Nasturtium and add three-quarters of oil, blitz till combined. If it is not running fluidly add the rest of the oil 'til it is running without interruption.
Blend until fully combined (1-2 minutes).
Line a glass bowl with muslin.
Pour the oil mixture into the muslin/bowl.
Pull four corners together and tie then hang muslin over the glass bowl in a fridge for at least 3 hours (best overnight).
Put the strained mixture into the freezer and freeze until the water has separated from the oil.
Pour this mixture into a container and refrigerate until you are ready to garnish.
To plate:
Place five slices of beetroot on the serving plate.
Place five slices of fish on top of each beetroot slice.
Pour one tablespoon of the lemon vinaigrette on top of the plate (avoiding covering the fish so that it doesn't cook).
Drizzle the honey reduction around the plate, a dab near each piece.
To garnish:
Green Oil - dot the green oil around the plate making sure to put some near the fish.
Leaves - take 3 small Nasturtium leaves and scatter around the plate.
Flowers - take 3 petals off a flower and scatter on top of the plate.
Maldon salt - sprinkle a sparse amount of Maldon salt on top of each fish (around 3 flakes of possible).
Serve immediately, once plated.
Raspberry Pistachio Macarons
recipe by:Darina Allen
A dessert highlight from the Ballymaloe Cookery School
Servings
30
Preparation Time 
2 hours 0 mins
Cooking Time 
11 mins
Total Time 
2 hours 11 mins
Course 
Dessert
Ingredients 175g icing sugar
115g ground almonds
60g green pistachios
50g egg whites
100g egg white at room temperature
200g caster sugar
For the buttercream:
110g butter
225g icing sugar
¼ tsp pure vanilla extract
2 punnets of raspberries
Method
Draw 5cm circles on the back of the baking parchment.
Mix the icing sugar, ground almonds and pistachios in the Magimix until fully blended, add to a bowl with the 50g egg white and mix completely.
Using an electric hand mixer, whisk the 100g egg whites until soft peaks form. Place this over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the bottom, add the caster sugar, and whisk continuously until the mixture thickens and almost doubles in volume. Remove from the heat and whisk until cool.
Mix one quarter of this meringue mixture into the ground almond paste, folding until it is completely mixed. Then add the remaining meringue, folding gently until combined. DO NOT overmix at this stage.
Put half the mixture into the piping bag and quickly pipe onto the prepared baking trays keeping within the 5cm outlines. Repeat with the rest of the mixture onto the other tray.
Leave at room temperature (not too hot as heat is the enemy) to form a skin for 30-60 minutes depending on temperature.
Preheat the oven to a fan 150°C/Gas Mark 2.
Bake the macarons for 11 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray.
Next make the buttercream filling.
In a bowl, cream the soft butter and icing sugar together, add a very small drop of pure vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
To finish, spread a little buttercream on each macaron, pop 1-2 fresh raspberries on top and sandwich together.
Seasonal Journal
Wildwood Vinegars
Love how many entrepreneurs and innovators find a way to create a business from their local environment.
Wildwood Vinegars, based in Rathlackin, near Ballina in Co. Mayo is a brilliant example.
Seek out their barrel-aged balsamic raspberry vinegar, hibiscus and elderflower balsamic and wildflower and lemon dressing to mention just a few…
I have no connection with the company, but am a fan.
Head Gardeners' Symposium on Friday, 26th September 2025
This September, the third annual symposium for head gardeners and professional gardeners will take place at Coollattin House in Co. Wicklow.
The symposium has an impressive lineup of inspirational speakers, each with their own experience as professionals in some of Ireland's and Britain's most iconic gardens and estates.
The theme of the symposium this year is "Reviving Tradition: Exploring Sustainable Crafts and Methods for a Greener Future".
Tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite