Ploughman's Salad Recipe

Creamy cheese, ham and crunchy veg with a honey mustard dressing, and even a pickled onion - this is Gordon's pub lunch salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 100g watercress, excess stalks cut off
• 1 romaine lettuce, roughly sliced
• 1 English eating apple, quartered, cored and cut into small chunks
• 3 celery sticks, trimmed and finely sliced
• 8–10 radishes, trimmed and sliced
• 6–8 slices of cooked ham, torn into pieces
• 100g best-quality Cheddar cheese such as Montgomery, cut into strips with a vegetable peeler
• 100g best-quality Stilton such as Colston Basset, cut into small cubes

For the quick pickled onion

• 1 red onion, peeled and very thinly sliced into rings
• ½ tbsp golden caster sugar
• 4 cloves
• 2–3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• Pinch of sea salt

For the dressing

• ½ –1 tsp English mustard, to taste
• 1 tsp runny honey
• 2–3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. First make the pickled onion. Put the onion into a bowl and sprinkle with the sugar, cloves, vinegar and a pinch of salt. Toss well to mix, place a saucer or layer of cling film over the onions and weigh down with a can of jar. Leave while you prepare the salad, or for up to an hour.

2. To make the dressing, put the mustard, honey, vinegar and oil into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Set aside.

3. Place the watercress, lettuce, apple, celery and radishes in a bowl and mix together. Mix the dressing again, pour it over the salad and toss to ensure everything is lightly coated.

4. Dot pieces of the ham and cheeses over the top. Drain the pickled onion and dot this over too. Toss lightly and serve.