The ploughman’s lunch is a great British tradition- albeit one dreamed up only last century by a pub company to sell more meals. For me, a ploughman’s lunch conjures up beer gardens, holidays and pints of real ale.
Trying to recreate it at home is fine if you’re serving up on big plates at the table, but try and take it on a picnic, or even for lunch al desko, and all the components become too much to transport or serve up without a tonne of Tupperware.
So I give to you the ploughman’s on a stick. The picnic friendly version of the pub favourite is great because you can make a pile of them and store them in a single food container until you get to your picnic.
They’re the ideal size for kids, and adults can nibble at them with their beer or Pimms and everyone is happy.
They are so much easier to transport than all of the individual elements. And you can make them in advance too.
Ok so I admit that egg isn’t a ploughman’s staple, but these mini scotch eggs from M&S are just the perfect bite size, and you must admit they’re cute! You could also use hard boiled quail eggs if you can get them (I know Lidl sometimes have them, or try your local farmshops).
Pickles are non- negotiable. These tiny ones from Opies* are just the right size so add as many as your kebab stick will allow.
Good mature cheddar is a must cheese wise; but be careful with vintage cheddar as it sometimes breaks up when you cut it. Ham should be thick, not thin sandwich slices. Cook a cheap hock or small piece of gammon in cider before hand if you have the time.
A traditional British ploughman's lunch made into a picnic kebab so you can easily transport it for lunch alfresco.
Ingredients
- Mature cheddar
- Cucumber
- Cherry tomatoes
- Thick ham (buy ready cooked or cook gammon or similar)
- Small pickled onions
- Apple (a crisp eating variety)
- Lemon juice
- Bite sized scotch eggs / savoury eggs (try Marks and Spencer) - or quail eggs, hard boiled
- Wooden kebab sticks
Instructions
- Cut everything into similar sized pieces, no bigger than a 10p piece. Toss the apple in lemon juice to avoid it going brown.
- Carefully thread onto kebab sticks. Place the egg at the top and then everything else in the order you wish to eat them.
- Refrigerate until serving.
Serve outdoors with lashings of ginger beer and nostalgia!
SHE LOVES: finger food in the sunshine!
I think that ‘kebabing’ food is a great idea for picnics so I am off to see what else I can put on a stick!
Pin your ploughman’s!
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