Dr Mobeus
Ploughmans Lunch Platter
A ploughmans lunch is proof that sometimes the best meals involve zero cooking. Bread, cheese, pickle and a few extras on a plate is about as British as food gets, and it costs a fraction of what a pub charges for the same thing. At 73p a portion this is cheaper than a meal deal and way more satisfying because you get proper chunks of cheese, proper bread and as much pickle as you want. It is the ideal no-cook meal for hot days, busy evenings or when you simply cannot face turning the oven on. The key is decent bread and a good chutney – everything else is flexible.
Ploughmans Lunch Platter
Ingredients
Method
- Cut the bread into thick slices and arrange on a large board or platter.
- Cut the cheese into thick chunks or wedges and arrange alongside the bread.
- Spoon the pickle or chutney into small bowls and place on the board.
- Slice the apple and tomato. Add them to the board along with the pickled onions.
- Add any cold meat, crisps or radishes you have. Butter the bread generously.
- Let everyone help themselves. This is not a recipe so much as an assembly job - pile your bread with cheese, pickle and whatever else takes your fancy.
Tips and Variations
A proper crusty loaf makes all the difference – sliced bread will not cut it here. Any hard cheese works: cheddar, red Leicester, Wensleydale. Add hard-boiled eggs, pork pie or scotch eggs if you have them. This is brilliant for using up odds and ends from the fridge. Scale it up for a sharing platter when friends come over.
