The Very Best Ploughman’s Salad

Ingredients

• 2 thick slices Sourdough bread (Tear or cut into 2 cm chunks; a seeded loaf was used.)
• 2 tsp Cold-pressed rapeseed or olive oil (For the croutons.)
• 100 g Extra-mature cheddar (25 g grated for the croutons and 75 g cut into rough chunks.)
• 4 Eggs (At room temperature.)
• 2 Little Gem lettuces (Leaves separated and roughly torn.)
• 12 Cornichons (Halved lengthways.)
• 0.5 English eating apple (Such as Cox’s Orange Pippin; cored and finely sliced. The source text appears to omit the fraction; 1/2 apple is used here.)
• 16 Cherry tomatoes (Halved or quartered.)
• 1 large Red onion (Halved and finely sliced.)
• 1 tbsp Caster sugar (For the quick pickled onions.)
• 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar (For the quick pickled onions.)
• Sea salt (1/2 tsp for the pickled onions, plus more to season.)
• Black pepper (A little for the croutons, plus more to season.)
• 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar (For the honey-mustard dressing.)
• 2 tsp English mustard (For the dressing.)
• 1 tsp Wholegrain mustard (For the dressing.)
• 1 tbsp Honey (For the dressing.)
• 3 tbsp Cold-pressed rapeseed or extra-virgin olive oil (For the dressing.)

Steps

1. 1

   Make the quick-pickled onions. Put the finely sliced red onion in a non-metallic bowl. Add the caster sugar, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Toss thoroughly, then leave to pickle for at least 30 minutes, or chill overnight. The onions should soften slightly and turn vivid pink.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Tear or cut the sourdough into roughly 2 cm chunks. Toss the bread with 2 teaspoons oil, a little black pepper, and the 25 g grated cheddar.

3. 3

   Spread the bread mixture over a baking tray in a single layer. Roast for 10–12 minutes, turning the croutons once or twice, until crisp and golden. Leave them to cool on the tray so the melted cheddar sets into crunchy shards around the bread.

4. 4

   Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the room-temperature eggs and cook for 7 minutes for jammy centres, or up to 9 minutes for hard-boiled eggs.

5. 5

   Drain the eggs and immediately plunge them into a bowl of cold water. Leave them until cool enough to handle, then peel and halve.

6. 6

   Make the honey-mustard dressing. Whisk the apple cider vinegar, English mustard, wholegrain mustard, honey, and 3 tablespoons oil together in a large bowl. Stir in 1–2 spoonfuls of the pickling liquid from the onions, then season well with salt and pepper.

7. 7

   Add the torn lettuce leaves and halved cornichons to the bowl of dressing. Toss lightly until coated, taking care not to bruise the lettuce. Arrange the dressed leaves and cornichons on a large serving platter.

8. 8

   Arrange the halved eggs over the salad. Add the cheddar chunks, sliced apple, pickled onions, and tomatoes.

9. 9

   Scatter the cheesy croutons over the platter and drizzle over any remaining dressing. Serve immediately while the croutons are crisp and the eggs are slightly warm.

Notes

For a picnic sandwich, skip the croutons and stuff the salad mixture into crusty sourdough baguettes. The onions can be pickled overnight. Serve immediately after assembling to preserve the croutons’ crispness.

Nutrition per serving

• salad
• main
• British
• vegetarian
• high-fibre
• sharing dish
• baked
• quick-pickled