Now We’re Cookin’ at Ballymaloe!

It is a 100-acre sustainable farm in the hills between East Cork and Cobh. And I seriously stumbled upon it driving in the rain. I’d heard it was there somewhere…but all that marked it was a simple sign with an arrow.

Ballymaloe was established in 1983. It was a dream of Darina Allen, to change the culinary world. And she has. Ballymaloe focuses on quality and on a philosophy of slow cooking. Most of the ingredients come from their own farm. Herbs, orchards, some livestock. Chickens offer fresh eggs; cows offer fresh milk, cheese, yogurt, cream and buttermilk. And students learn everything from how to properly chop onions, to guaranteeing uniform dinner rolls, and from and sauces to Victoria sponge.

“The only way to really know if your chicken is done,” says teacher Dr.Debbie Shaw, “is to check it between the breast and the thigh. You have to be sure the juices run clear to know it’s really done.”

Shaw herself went through training here years ago and now, she teaches here. She says students come from around the world.

“They come from England and Ireland of course,” she says. But we get students from Sweden, Japan, The United States, South Africa..you name it. They come from all over to learn here.”

Ballymaloe offers short courses that last a day or two and long ones that last 12 weeks. Those in the longer courses live on the farm in a bunkhouse and do chores, like milking the cows, collecting eggs and weeding the herb garden while they are here. They creates a real team effort.”

In the kitchens, they rotate teachers to learn different areas of expertise. And after graduating they go all over the world to share their skills.

Hear the busy kitchens of Ballymaloe at work, in this podcast from Erin’s Isle