ploughmans

Soft, sticky onion marmalade - great with pâtés and terrrines or a ploughman's lunch

Red onion marmalade

2kg red onions onions

garlic

butter

olive oil

golden caster sugar

thyme leaf

chilli flakes (optional)

red wine

milliliters sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

port

Halve and thinly slice the onions, then thinly slice the garlic. Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a high heat. Tip in the onions and garlic and give them a good stir so they are glossed with butter. Sprinkle over the sugar, thyme leaves, chilli flakes if using and some salt and pepper. Give everything another really good stir and reduce the heat slightly. Cook uncovered for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions are ready when all their juices have evaporated, they’re really soft and sticky and smell of sugar caramelising. They should be so soft that they break when pressed against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. Slow cooking is the secret of really soft and sticky onions, so don't rush this part.

Pour in the wine, vinegar and port and simmer everything, still uncovered, over a high heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring every so often until the onions are a deep mahogany colour and the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds. It’s done when drawing a spoon across the bottom of the pan clears a path that fills rapidly with syrupy juice. Leave the onions to cool in the pan, then scoop into sterilised jars and seal. Can be eaten straight away, but keeps in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Satisfying and nutritious lunchbox fillers which take minutes to make

Lunchbox mains

chicken guacamole wrap

pasta salad

ham rolls

cheese ploughman's lunch

sweet potato & chickpea soup (all recipe ingredients below)

Chicken guacamole wrap Take 1 tortilla wrap and spread 2 tbsp shop-bought guacamole down the middle. Lay ½ shredded chicken breast and ½ sliced red pepper on top. Sprinkle with 30g grated cheddar and roll up tightly. Wrap in baking parchment and tie with string, or roll tightly in cling film (serves 1).

Very easy pasta salad Cook 85g pasta shapes, adding 3 tbsp each frozen peas and frozen sweetcorn for the final min. Drain; rinse in cold water. Mix 1 tbsp each natural yogurt and shop-bought balsamic dressing, with 1 tsp mayo. Pour onto the pasta, then stir in 1 tbsp chopped basil and 3 halved cherry tomatoes (serves 1).

Mini ham rolls Mix 1 tbsp mayo with 1 tsp each wholegrain mustard and honey. Split 2 small wholemeal rolls in half and spread each side with the mayo mix. Stuff each roll with 2-3 slices cucumber, 1 Baby Gem leaf and 1 slice ham (serves 1).

Ploughman's lunchbox Cut a chunk of cheddar and 1 apple into wedges (squeeze over some lemon juice to stop them going brown). Place 2 Baby Gem leaves in a container, then spoon 2 tbsp chutney into one leaf and use the other leaf to hold a salad made of 1 small grated carrot, 3 cherry tomatoes and 1 tbsp cress. Serve with a selection of crackers, if you like (serves 1).

Sweet potato & chickpea soup Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan; soften 1 finely diced onion for 3 mins. Add 2 sliced garlic cloves, cook for 3 mins more. Add 1 tsp each ground cumin and ground coriander, cook for 1 min. Add 1 sweet potato, cut into 1cm cubes. Fry for 2 mins, then pour over 600ml hot vegetable stock. Boil for 10 mins until potato is tender. Add 220g can drained chickpeas. Heat through before whizzing until smooth. Stir in 1 tbsp soured cream and 50ml milk. Pour into a thermos when hot (serves 2).

A Ploughman's Lunch is the English equivalent of a Snacky Lunch. Quick to prepare and easy to share, it's an ideal no-cook meal and excellent for packing on the go.

Ploughman's Lunch

onion

tbsp white wine vinegar

salt

black pepper

egg (, hard-cooked, peeled and cut in half)

oz sliced English cheese

bread bread

seasonal fruit

cornichons

English pickle

tbsp butter (,

In a small bowl, place the onion slices. Pour over the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Allow to sit to allow the onion to marinade. This also removes some of the bitterness and heat from the onions.

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Red onion marmalade

Lunchbox mains

Ploughman's Lunch

Top 3 ploughmans recipes from across the web

The most viewed ploughmans recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

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Red onion marmalade

Lunchbox mains

Ploughman's Lunch

The most viewed ploughmans recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine