Derry Clarke

Derry Clarke is an Irish celebrity chef, and was the proprietor of the restaurant L'Ecrivain. He has also been a reality television judge, having acted as a judge alongside Bibi Baskin and Sammy Leslie on the RTÉ One reality television series Fáilte Towers, and has appeared on other programmes such as The Restaurant, The Afternoon Show and The Panel (in 2008^[2]).

Derry Clarke
Nationality	Irish
Occupation	Chef
Employer	Self-employed
Known for	Michelin star, television career
Spouse	Sallyanne Clarke^[1]

Career

Clarke's professional career began at the age of sixteen years.^[3] He started his career in 1972, with Peter Barry, known for The Man Friday.^{[citation needed]} He came back to Dublin in 1977 and worked in Le Coq Hardi in Dublin for four years, under John Howard. He also worked for eight years in Le Bon Appétit in Dublin.^[4]

Clarke has received international recognition, having been inducted into Food & Wine Magazine's "Hall of Fame" and been granted a five-star review by The New York Times.^[3] The newspaper described his restaurant as "superb" and "a good spot to linger" while in Dublin.^[5]

Derry completed a term as Commissioner General at EuroToques, but remains actively involved with EuroToques.^{[citation needed]}

Eminent UK food critic A. A. Gill, not known for dishing out rave reviews, gave a positive review of L'Ecrivain. He noted that Derry's Wicklow venison was "among the best deer I've ever tasted", going on to describe L'Ecrivain as "a very decent, hospitable, friendly, stay-a-while hybrid restaurant".^{[citation needed]}

Clarke's recipes feature in publications such as the Irish Independent^{[1][6][7][8][9]} and the Evening Herald.^[10]

He has written two cook books, which sold well,^{[citation needed]} "Not Just Another Cookbook" and "Keeping it Simple". The recipes confirm his commitment to the very best local, fresh produce cooked with flair and imagination.^{[citation needed]}

Roast leg of spring lamb has been one of Clarke's favourites since his childhood and he regularly cooks it for his own Sunday lunch.^[1] Asked about whether he cooks the family dinner on Christmas Day, he replied positively.^[10] He cooks goose on this day.^[10]

When Ranelagh's Dylan McGrath owned Mint shut down in 2009, Clarke expressed his sadness to the Evening Herald.^[11]

Awards

• Michelin star: 2001–2018^[12]

Personal

Derry Clarke is married to Sallyanne. He had two children, a son and a daughter. His son died 31 December 2012, at the age of 16.^[4] Clarke had a double bypass operation in December 2013, after a warning that there was a family history of heart problems, that made him extra vulnerable for a heart attack.^[13]

References

1. "Ross Lewis Derry Clarke". Irish Independent. 12 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
2. "Tuesday, 30 December 2008^{[permanent dead link]}". RTÉ. Accessed 30 October 2008.
3. "Judges". RTÉ. Accessed 25 April 2009.
4. Black, Fergus (1 January 2013). "Tragedy for celebrity chef family as son (16) crushed". Irish Independent. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
5. O'Byrne, Robert (29 February 2004). "In Dublin, Lots to Talk About". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
6. "Caesar Salad with aged Parmesan shavings, crispy croutons & fresh anchovies". Irish Independent. 25 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
7. "Chicken breasts baked with tomato red peppers, chilli & chorizo". Irish Independent. 25 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
8. "Pizza dough". Irish Independent. 25 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
9. "lemon tart". Irish Independent. 25 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
10. "Derry Clarke's Christmas goose". Evening Herald. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
11. "Doors closed at McGrath's star eaterie". Evening Herald. 22 April 2009. Archived from the original on 30 May 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
12. Michelin Online Republic of Ireland 10 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
13. Rabbitte, Eimear (23 December 2013). "Chef Derry Clarke recovering after heart surgery". Irish Independent. Retrieved 23 December 2013.