Rachel Allen

Rachel Allen Opinion The secret to Nicoise salad is a good, gutsy French dressing, and only use the best red, ripe tomatoes

Tuesday marks France's national day, Bastille Day, where Francophiles worldwide celebrate the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille and a turning point in the French Revolution. A public holiday, July 14 is as celebrated as enthusiastically as St Patrick's Day is here, with carnivals, parties, parades, feasts and fireworks.

Sticky ribs with blue cheese sauce. Photo: Tony Gavin 20/5/2020

Rachel Allen Opinion Sticky BBQ ribs and blueberry cheesecake - celebrate all things American with these red, white and blue recipes

This Saturday sees the 244th anniversary of Independence Day, the day of declaration that the 13 American colonies were no longer under British rule, becoming united, free and independent states.

The cream of the crop: Seasonal soft fruits are the stars of Rachel Allen's delicious summer desserts

Plump and rich summer berries, intensely tangy rhubarb, sweet and succulent cherries, peaches, nectarines and apricots; this is my favourite time of the year for fruit.

Potato salad with basil. Photography by Tony Gavin

Turn over a new leaf with three mouthwatering summer salads from Rachel Allen

Whether you're cooking a barbecue, a piece of fish or a simple roast chicken, it's handy to have an arsenal of salad recipes up your sleeve at this time of the year.

Lemon and elderflower cake. Photo: Tony Gavin

Rachel Allen Opinion A sandwich and slice of cake in the woods - is there anything better than a picnic?

Be it a flask of coffee after my daily early morning swim; a sandwich and slice of cake in our local woods, or a sneaky cocktail after an evening stroll down the road, I love a picnic of any sort. Of course whatever food or drinks you’re bringing need to be easily portable and not get into a mess on the commute.

Rachel Allen: It's barbecue time - think bigger than burgers and bangers

We've never cooked as much at home as we have during these last few months, and happily, the weather has largely been kind to us. Whether it's a cup of coffee from a flask enjoyed at your local park or beach, or some meat or fish roasted over the flames on a barbecue, everything seems to taste better when it is enjoyed outside.

Rachel Allen Opinion All the joy, half the washing up in these delicious one-pot wonder recipes

There's something so comforting and cosy about one-pot meals. When you crave ease and simplicity and don't relish the thought of juggling multiple pots and pans, a recipe where each element cooks alongside the other, that's my idea of convenience food. And best of all, the wash-up is minimal.

Sweet summer tart recipes from Rachel Allen

Last week was all about savoury tarts, so this week's focus is on indulgent sweet tarts. One of my favourites is an old classic that comes from the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England. With a sweet, crumbly shortcrust base, a filling of raspberry jam and rich almond frangipane, the Bakewell tart, far right, is hard to beat. It's a real treat to enjoy at the end of a meal or with a cup of something delicious. And the best thing of all? There's no need to blind-bake the pastry first.

Lemon Chicken roasted with Fennel and Leeks.
Photo: Tony Gavin

Rachel Allen Opinion Nothing says summer more than zingy wonderful lemon

Endlessly valuable and versatile in the kitchen, the lemon is one of my top five desert island ingredients. Less sweet than an orange, yet not as tart as a lime, with a flavour that has more friends than all of its citrus cousins combined, lemon is a vital seasoning for so many dishes. Like salt and pepper, lemon has the ability to really enhance the flavour of the food it's squeezed on to. Just a few drops of the lemon's magic can give a simple piece of fish or fruit instant inspiration.

Rachel Allen's Easter chocolate tart. Photo: Tony Gavin

Rachel Allen Opinion Baking can ease us through these strange and unsettling times

The build-up to this Easter has been a strange and unsettling one to say the least. I've received so many messages from people who are making the most of their time at home by cooking and baking far more than they normally would.

Spiced lamb koftas with flatbreads. Photo: Tony Gavin

Quarantine cook-along: Rachel Allen's moreish Middle Eastern lamb

We all know that a well-stocked kitchen with an array of non-perishable ingredients is really handy in times of need, and never more so than during these recent strange times. An arsenal of dried spices is invaluable for adding flavour and goodness to meat, pulses, veggies and fish. This week, with Easter on the horizon, I'm focusing on all things lamb.

Rachel Allen Opinion Why it's the perfect time to start foraging for food in your garden

Foraged food may have been in the spotlight for the last while, but of course this is how people fed themselves long before supermarkets were ever even dreamt of.

Mother's Day Swiss Roll, with Rachel and Scarlett Allen. Photo: Tony Gavin

Rachel Allen Opinion Why not say ‘I love you’ with a classic Swiss roll?

Why not say ‘I love you’ with something delicious? It could be for your mum, your godmother, or the mother-figure in your life — I mean, who doesn’t love a home-baked cake?

Rachel Allen's eek and potato soup with black pudding. Photo: Tony Gavin

Rachel Allen Opinion There's more to black pudding than a fry-up

Black pudding is an integral part of the classic Irish fry-up, and one of our traditional foods, but sadly, it is often confined to breakfast time. It is delicious when paired with apples, potatoes, and even rhubarb and works a treat in a multitude of different dishes.

Rachel Allen Opinion A Mexican brunch that's chock-full of bold, zingy flavours

One of my favourite foodie combinations has to be the trio of chillies, coriander and lime juice. While they are not exclusive to Mexican food, it simply wouldn't be the same without them. They represent the kind of bold, powerful flavours that great Mexican food is all about.

Rachel Allen Opinion Oh-so easy veggie pasta dishes

Continuing with last week's pasta theme, today I'm bringing a few delicious vegetarian pasta dishes to the table.

Rachel Allen's Ragu pasta. Photo: Tony Gavin

Rachel Allen Opinion These pasta dishes are cosy, comforting and fantastico

While some Italians might balk at the idea of eating pasta for a main course, at home, I regularly cook a pasta dish for supper. It's a soothing and satisfying meal - we all need a few great pasta-sauce recipes up our sleeves.

Creamy chocolate cocktails and white chocolate truffles

Rachel Allen Opinion The oo-er magical power of chocolate

Every year, there's a new food on the edible aphrodisiac list. The latest addition seems to be watermelon for its high levels of the amino acid citrulline, which is thought to deliver magical effects on the old libido!

Rachel Allen Opinion Mussels are the most generous shellfish

Mussels are the most generous shellfish; they have so much to offer the cook. The chunks of sweet orange flesh are at home in a huge variety of dishes, such as soups, stews, sauces, pasta and curries. They can be cooked in a pan, steamed or fried.

Rachel Allen Opinion Gooey and sweet bowl of deliciousness

Sometimes there's a serious need for a pudding.

Sausage and bean casserole with kale and hazelnut pesto

Rachel Allen Opinion This slow cook casserole is meltingly tender and delicious

There's nothing like a bowlful of steaming-hot stew to beat the winter blues. When it's grey and drizzling outside, I adore having a pot of something soothing and delicious bubbling away.

Rachel Allen with some of her Christmas entertaining treats. Photo: Kip Carroll

Rachel Allen's Christmas Party: Festive nibbles and tipples

It was a great idea at the time, inviting your friends over for drinks on Christmas morning.

Edible gifts: Rachel Allen. Photo: Kip Carroll

Rachel Allen: 'Quick to rustle up, and delicious to munch on - these edible gifts are perfect presents'

I adore receiving edible gifts. German Christmas cookies, little mince pies, squares of fudge, mini chocolate brownies, jams, preserves - bring them on!

Rachel Allen's perfect comforting desserts

There's something supremely comforting about a warm, sweet pudding at this time of the year. Serve with some softly whipped cream or a dollop of custard and you have, for me, the perfect way to end a cosy Sunday lunch.

Rachel Allen: 'Is there anything better than a slice of freshly baked sponge cake with a cup of tea?'

Rachel Allen: 'The French have championed duck meat and its fat for centuries'

For some reason, duck is a meat that I eat more of in winter than summer. Its deep and satisfying richness lends itself to bigger, more robust flavours than lighter meats.

Rachel Allen: 'The sign of a great curry is that it's just as good, if not better, the next day'

One of the things I love about a great curry is that it's just as good, if not better, the next day.

Rachel Allen's meze: Arnaud’s pitta bread, spiced carrot salad, and Baba ganoush

Meze - or mezze, mazzeh or mazze, depending on where in the world you are - is basically a selection of small dishes served to accompany drinks, or as a course in itself for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Myrtle Allen helping her great grandchildren Scarlett and Amelia to peel shrimps. Photo: Tim Allen

Mrs Allen was the cream of the crop who leaves a legacy of food, laughter and love

I remember, when I was little, first hearing about Ballymaloe House from my parents who had been there for a weekend with friends.

Rachel Allen cooks pancakes. Photo: Tony Gavin

Rachel Allen's top tips for a Pancake Tuesday Extravaganza

Tuesday is pancake time. In all their shapes and forms, they are a real favourite in our household. It isn't just our children who get excited - I adore pancakes and love an excuse to make a real feast of them. There's something so pleasingly simple, so supremely comforting about a perfectly browned pancake, unchallenging and uncomplicated, but always delicious.