Darina Allen - Simply Delicious the Classic Collection

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Early in 1987, a knock came to the door as we say in Ireland, and the postman delivered a letter that in some ways was to change the course of the rest of my life. It was from the Controller of Programmes at RT, our national television station, and contained a proposal to Myrtle Allen and I for a pilot for a cookery series. It was terrifically exciting, tempting in many ways, but also beyond scary I had never seen a television camera in my life and had absolutely no idea how to go about making a television programme. I tossed the proposal backwards and forwards in my head, scared I would make a total fool of myself, yet excited at the prospect. After much toing and froing I decided it would be easier to live with the series not being a huge success than with the eternal question of What if?

We filmed the pilot in August 1987 and RT commissioned the first series in July 1988, to be filmed that September. The original plan was to publish the recipes in the weekly RT Guide but I was concerned that we would have endless phone calls when people mislaid it. So, despite having no idea how to go about writing a cookbook either, I proposed that I do just that. The producer Colette Farmer was concerned that there wouldnt be enough recipes, but the Ballymaloe Cookery School had been operating since 1983, so we already had a growing repertoire of dishes so no problem there. Gill & Macmillan agreed to publish the cookbook in paperback, but what to call itThe name Darina Allen meant nothing at that time, so after much discussion with the crew, Simply Delicious was proposed. Apparently, I had repeated these two words regularly and it seemed to reflect the food that I loved to cook and was so anxious to share how easy it was to make simple and delicious food with beautiful, fresh local produce.

The first programme was to be aired on Monday 13th March 1989 at 8pm. My director Colette Farmer was also production assistant and later a producer of the Late Late Show and was famous in her own right as the face behind the command Roll it there Colette, when Gay Byrne would show a previously recorded piece during an interview. She understandably had Gays ear so he agreed to have me on as a guest on his Saturday night show, I was never so terrified before or since, but survived. Gay could be unpredictable, even provocative, but he introduced me enthusiastically to the Irish people and I was launched.

After the first few programmes people poured into the shops to buy the little 78-page Simply Delicious paperback. For many, it was the first cookbook they ever owned, the recipes well-tested for the Ballymaloe Cookery School worked, so as the Gill & Macmillan representative put it one night after a book signing, the book was selling in telephone numbers and shops quickly ran out of copies. It went into a second printing immediately and there was a paper shortage, so for several of the eight weeks the programme was on air there wasnt a copy of Simply Delicious to be had in the country. Furthermore, the success was fuelled by another unlikely element. RT didnt anticipate the appeal of this new cookery series and ran it opposite Coronation Street. This was at a time when most houses would have been proud to own just one television and long before any form of playback, so there was many a family fracas about which programme to watch. Viewers wrote to RT and rang into chat shows to complain that it was causing strife within the family. The repeat was rescheduled

Simply Delicious went on to make Irish publishing history, topping the best sellers for months in a row and selling more copies than any previously published cookbook in Ireland: 115,000 copies in the first year of publication. I went on to do a further six Simply Delicious books to accompany a series of the same name.

Ive often been told that dog-eared copies of these books are treasured possessions in many households and have in many cases been passed on to the next generation. Since then Ive gone on to publish a further sixteen cookbooks. The Simply Delicious books have been out of print for many years but people regularly ask where they can find a copy of one or another, so Im delighted to be republishing this collection of 100 classic recipes from Simply Delicious 1 and 2 and Simply Delicious Vegetables.

Choosing the recipes was a fascinating experience, so many have stood the test of time and are still perennial favourites. Some we have tweaked over the past 30 years or added more contemporary garnishes or complementary spices as the range of ingredients available has expanded considerably in the time since the recipes were first published.

Many of our happiest childhood memories are connected to food. I hope you will enjoy this selection of recipes. For me its such a joy to know that for many, these simply delicious dishes have become treasured favourites to share with family and friends around the table. And Im hoping that many of these time-honoured recipes will still be relished and enjoyed in 30 years' time

RECIPE SYMBOLS

Freezes perfectly for 23 months but use sooner rather than later.

Celery gets a bad rap but at Ballymaloe we cook it in lots of exciting ways I love this wintery soup, light and delicious garnished with creamy crumbly blue cheese and some toasted hazelnuts.

Serves 810

600g celery, finely chopped

45g salted butter

150g potatoes, peeled and cut into 5mm dice 150g onions, chopped

850ml homemade chicken stock

150300ml creamy milk

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the garnish

a few tablespoons whipped cream

2 tablespoons Cashel Blue or Crozier Blue cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons hazelnuts, skinned, toasted and coarsely chopped

sprigs of chervil or flat-leaf parsley

Use a potato peeler to remove the strings from the outside stalks of the celery and save to use in stock.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. When it foams, add the potatoes, onions and celery; toss in the butter until evenly coated. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover with a paper lid (to keep in the steam) and the saucepan lid and sweat over a gentle heat for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft but not coloured. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 1012 minutes until the celery is fully cooked. Liquidise the soup, add a little more creamy milk or stock to thin to the required consistency. Season to taste.