Looking for a unique twist for a special lunch?  Serve a traditional ploughman’s lunch.

What’s in a ploughman’s lunch?

• Basic: crusty white bread, strong English cheeses, thick slices of ham
• Chutney: Branston pickle, ploughman’s pickle, or piccalilli (pungent, vinegary, earthy)
• Pickled Vegetables: sweet onions, gerkins
• Additional Protein: boiled eggs, slice of pork pie, Scotch egg, sausage roll, pate
• Salad: watercress or arugula, radishes, celery
• Fruit: a thick slice of Lincolnshire plum bread (not pictured) and a sweet, crisp apple
• Condiments: English mustard, salted butter

Pro Tips

• Pick something sweet (apple), sour (chutney and pickles), and salty (cheese and meat)
• Have enough choices so every guest can graze happily.
• Include all seven ingredient categories: basic, chutney, pickled veggies, protein, salad, fruit, and condiments.
• Artfully arrange it on a large wooden platter.
• Serve all the ingredients cold or at room temperature.
• This is lunch idea is perfect for rustic wedding and party buffets.

If you have never tried an English ploughman’s lunch, I encourage you to.  It’s fun to prepare and artfully arrange the ingredients, and it tastes amazing.  Don’t be fooled–British food is anything but boring!

Loved this English lunch idea?  Try our some of our other British recipes.

• Crusty English Bloomer Bread: learn the secrets to making a beautiful white bread with a crisp crust.
• Low Carb Baked Scotch Eggs: this delicious snack is perfect alongside English mustard.
• Lincolnshire Plum Bread: enjoy a thick slice of this dense, sweet bread packed with juicy dried fruit.

Did you make this ploughman’s lunch?  We’d love it if you left a recipe rating.

How to Make a Ploughman’s Lunch

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• Author: Brooke
• Prep Time: 40 minutes
• Cook Time: 6 minutes
• Total Time: 56 minutes
• Yield: 3 servings
• Category: Lunch
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: British

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Description

Ploughman’s lunch is a traditional British meal that is perfect idea for your next party.  Fill a large, rustic platter with cheese, bread, meat, pickled and fresh vegetables, chutney, boiled eggs, and fruit.  Guests can enjoy a wonderful sandwich with a side salad.  It’s a simple but brilliant dish for entertaining!

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Ingredients

Key Ingredients

• 4 thick slices of white crusty bread (167g)
• 2 wedges aged English cheddar (140g)
• 2 thick slices baked ham (121g)
• 1/2 cup strong chutney, like ploughman’s pickle (136g)
• 6 gherkins (77g)
• 10 sweet silverskin onions or cocktail onions (54g)

Secondary Ingredients

• 2 boiled eggs, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
• 1 sweet apple, sliced and brushed with lemon juice
• 2 thick slices of Lincolnshire plum bread
• 1 1/4 cup watercress
• 2 large radishes, thickly sliced (84g)
• 2 celery stalks with leaves, rinsed and patted dry (71g)

Condiments

• 2 teaspoons Colman’s mustard
• 1 tablespoon salted butter, at room temperature (14g)

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Instructions

1. Put the butter, mustard, chutney, onions, gherkins, and watercress in separate bowls.
2. Boil the two eggs by placing them in a saucepan full of cold water.  Bring to a boil, then cook for 6 minutes.  Immediately plunge the eggs in a ice water bath for 10 minutes.  Crack the shells all around, then gently peel them and rinse off any tiny shells.  Blot them dry with paper towel and cut in half lengthwise.  If desired, sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper.
3. Wash and dry the radishes and celery, then cut the radishes into thick slices.  Cut the celery into 2 inch pieces.
4. Cut and core the apple, then brush each slice with lemon juice to prevent browning.
5. If desired, cut the ham slices into pieces that are 1 1/2 inches in length.
6. Store all the ingredients, except the butter and the bread, in the fridge until needed.
7. Half hour before serving, take out the cheese so it can warm up to room temperature.
8. When ready to serve, artfully arrange the ingredients on a large wooden cutting board.  Serve immediately.

Keywords: traditional, platter, sandwich