A traditional English Ploughman’s Lunch is a classic, hearty meal that has stood the test of time. Its origins trace back to rural England where farmers, known as ploughmen, needed a simple, robust lunch that could be easily packed and eaten in the fields. The Ploughman’s Lunch is a beautifully simple concept – good, honest food, eaten cold and best served with a pint of traditional English beer. In its most basic form, it consists of cold, simple, and healthy ingredients like cheese, ham, apple, bread, and pickle. However, in today’s article, we will guide you step-by-step on how to make this rustic dish at home with an added twist – pickled onions.
Gathering the ingredients
The first step in creating a traditional English Ploughman’s Lunch is gathering the right ingredients. The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity and flexibility. It is not so much a recipe as a gathering of tasty, traditional English produce.
For a Ploughman’s Lunch with pickled onions, you’ll need mature cheddar cheese, thick-cut ham, crusty bread, an apple, pickles such as Branston Pickle or Piccalilli, and of course, pickled onions. When you choose the ingredients, opt for quality over quantity. Seek out the best cheese and ham your local deli can offer, and find a baker who makes bread with love and attention. The simple nature of this dish means the quality of the ingredients shines through.
Preparing the Ploughman’s Lunch
Preparing the Ploughman’s Lunch couldn’t be easier. There’s no strict recipe to follow, but there is a method to assembling it correctly.
Start by slicing the cheese. The cheddar should be mature and strong in flavour, and cut into thick slices. Thickly slice the ham as well. As for the bread, it should be crusty and firm, capable of standing up to the robust other ingredients. Slice it thickly, and consider serving a couple of different types for variety.
Next, slice the apple and collect your pickles. The tartness of the apple and the tanginess of the pickle provide a counterpoint to the richness of the cheese and ham. Remember to not peel the apple; the skin adds both colour and texture to the meal.
Crafting Your Pickled Onions
Here is where we add a special twist to our traditional Ploughman’s Lunch – homemade pickled onions. This addition takes a bit of time but is simple to make and adds a delightful tanginess to your meal.
Start by peeling a batch of small, silverskin onions. Then, prepare a brine of salt and water and soak the onions in it overnight. The next day, rinse them and pack them into sterilised jars. Boil a mixture of vinegar and pickling spices and pour it over the onions. Seal the jars and leave them for at least a month before eating.
Serving the Ploughman’s Lunch
The final and most crucial step is serving the Ploughman’s Lunch. Remember, the aim is to create a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Use a large plate or platter and arrange the ingredients in separate groups – this lets the eater choose their perfect mouthful with each bite.
The cheese, ham, and bread form the backbone of the meal. Arrange them in a triangle, and then fill in the rest of the plate with the other ingredients. Add your pickled onions, apple slices, and pickles. A touch of greenery, like some crisp lettuce or radishes, adds a bit of freshness and a splash of colour.
Appreciating the Ploughman’s Lunch
Finally, as you sit down to enjoy your traditional Ploughman’s Lunch with pickled onions, take a moment to appreciate this dish in all its rustic glory. Each ingredient, in its own right, embodies the very essence of traditional English food. Together, they create a meal that is more than the sum of its parts. Enjoy it at your leisure, savouring the combination of flavours and textures.
In creating this dish, you have not only prepared a meal but also participated in a rich culinary tradition. So, the next time you crave something deliciously simple and quintessentially English, why not consider making a traditional Ploughman’s Lunch? After all, good food is all about simplicity and love, and a Ploughman’s Lunch is the perfect embodiment of just that.
Pairing Your Ploughman’s Lunch
What makes this traditional dish even more delightful is its pairing with a refreshing drink. As is customary in English pubs, a Ploughman’s Lunch is best enjoyed with a pint of English beer. Nevertheless, the beauty of this meal is that it can also be savoured with a variety of other beverages.
If you’re not a beer aficionado, a glass of cider makes an equally splendid partner to a Ploughman’s Lunch. The crisp, fruity notes of the cider beautifully complement the hearty flavours of the cheese, ham, and pickles, while its slight sweetness balances out the tanginess of the pickled onions.
For wine lovers, a glass of English white wine, such as a Chardonnay or a Pinot Gris, can be an excellent choice. These wines tend to have a medium acidity and a subtle fruity flavour, which works well with the robust ingredients of the Ploughman’s Lunch.
Non-alcoholic options work as well, with traditional English apple juice or a cup of black tea both being popular choices. The key is to choose a drink that you enjoy and that complements the different flavours of the Ploughman’s Lunch.
The Legacy of the Ploughman’s Lunch
The Ploughman’s Lunch is more than just a meal; it’s a cultural icon that holds a special place in the heart of England. This humble dish carries with it tales of centuries-old English farming life, marking the hard work and simple pleasures of the rural folk.
Despite its simplicity, the Ploughman’s Lunch is a testament to the quality and variety of English produce. From the mature cheddar cheese to the thick-cut ham, crusty bread, tangy pickles, and our special addition of pickled onions, each component is a celebration of traditional English fare.
Over the years, the Ploughman’s Lunch has also shown remarkable adaptability, with new ingredients being added to reflect changing tastes and local produce. Yet, the essence of the meal remains unchanged – a simple, hearty dish packed with flavour and history.
In conclusion, preparing a traditional English Ploughman’s Lunch with pickled onions is a journey through the culinary heritage of rural England. This dish’s simplicity and adaptability are the secrets of its longevity and popularity. With fresh, high-quality ingredients and a bit of love, you can bring the taste of traditional English fare into your home.
Whether you enjoy it on a picnic in the countryside, in the comfort of your home, or as a lunch at work, the Ploughman’s Lunch guarantees a satisfying and flavourful meal. So raise your glass to a tradition that has stood the test of time, to the hardworking ploughmen of yesteryears, and to the joy of good, honest food!
