Proper Ploughman's Board with Quick Pickled Onions & Cheddar

⏱ 30 min · Serves 2

A pub classic done properly at home: craggy wedges of mature cheddar, sweet-sharp pickled onions made in twenty minutes, a thick slab of ham, crusty bread and a good spoon of chutney. No cooking skill required, just good shopping and confident arranging.

Per serving: 830 kcal · 49.0g protein · 58.0g carbs · 45.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 100ml cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 200g mature cheddar, in thick wedges
• 150g thick-cut cooked ham or honey-roast gammon
• 2 thick slices crusty sourdough or a small crusty roll each
• 20g salted butter
• 4 tbsp Branston-style pickle or apple chutney
• 1 crisp apple, quartered and cored
• 1 small Little Gem lettuce, leaves separated
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved (optional)
• 1 tsp English mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Put the sliced red onion in a heatproof bowl. Warm the cider vinegar, sugar, salt and mustard seeds in a small pan until the sugar dissolves, then pour over the onion. Press down and leave to pickle for 20 minutes, stirring once.
2. If using eggs, boil them for 8 minutes, then cool under cold running water and peel.
3. Take the cheddar out of the fridge now so it comes to room temperature and tastes of something.
4. Cut the bread thickly and butter it generously, or leave the butter in a dish on the board.
5. Slice the apple into thin wedges and toss briefly in a spoonful of the pickling liquid to stop it browning.
6. Arrange everything on a large board: cheddar wedges, folded ham, lettuce leaves, tomatoes, apple, egg halves and the drained pickled onions in a small pile.
7. Spoon the pickle or chutney and the English mustard into little pots or straight onto the board. Grind over black pepper.
8. Serve at once with cold cider or a bitter, and let everyone build their own mouthfuls.