Ploughman's Lunch Tart

Recipe and photos by Lily Morello

A ploughman’s lunch is a classic English cold meal combo. Its name is a reference to how farm workers in England would carry their simple, portable lunch of bread and cheese with them to eat mid-day in the fields. These days, ham, pickle (which in British-English refers to a relish or chutney-like sweet condiment), onion, apple, and even a green salad are also common components to the ploughman’s lunch served in pubs. This recipe gathers those ingredients atop a tart, with airy puff pastry replacing the cold bread and featuring our Sliced Jambon de Paris.

Ingredients for the Relish

2 cups honeycrisp (or similar) apples, cored, chopped into 1/4” pieces (about 1 1/2 apples)
1 cup red onion, chopped into 1/4” pieces (about 1 small onion)
1 cup dried pitted dates, chopped into 1/4” pieces
10 Cornichons, finely chopped
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt

Ingredients for the Tart

1 sheet prepared puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions
1–3 tsp flour, for dusting only
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water (for eggwash)
1/3 – 1/2 cup homemade relish
3 oz English cheddar, cut into thin shavings
1 package (6 oz) Sliced Jambon de Paris, torn into large pieces
2 oz English stilton, cut into thin shavings
2–3 pickled pearl onions, thinly sliced (optional)
1/2 cup arugula

Procedure

Make the relish: Combine all the ingredients for the relish in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Continue simmering the ingredients, stirring very occasionally, until the mixture is thick, shiny, and sticky like a relish or chutney (about 1 hour). Store in a clean jar and refrigerate when cooled. This could be made up to three days ahead.

Make the tart base: Preheat oven to 375°F (or as noted on the packaging).

On a floured surface and using a floured rolling pin, roll prepared puff pastry dough to a 9” x 13” rectangle. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Trim a small amount from each side to form a straight edge (this will allow the border of the tart to puff better). Score a 1/2” to 1” border for the tart crust by using a sharp knife to cut halfway through the dough. Brush the prepared eggwash lightly over the border section. Prick the center section all over with a fork to prevent this area from puffing as much as the border. Place in the freezer for 3–5 minutes to allow the dough to re-chill.

Bake in the heated oven for 12 minutes.

Quickly spread an even layer of the relish in the center section of the pastry dough. Top with cheddar. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are puffy and there is no longer visible butter or oil bubbling in between the pastry layers.

Assemble the tart: Over the tart, evenly distribute the Sliced Jambon de Paris, stilton shavings, and onion slices (if using). Immediately before serving, sprinkle the arugula on top.

Notes from the author:

Sure, turning the collection of foods that were meant to be the simplest no-cook lunch into a pretty tart might have defeated the original purpose of the ploughman’s lunch, but with the use of frozen puff pastry and conveniently pre-sliced French ham, this is still a low-effort recipe—perfect for more leisurely meals dined al fresco. It’s got a little bit of everything—sweetness and tanginess from the apple, onion, and cornichon relish made with Traditional Cornichons; salty savoriness from the Jambon de Paris and the English stilton cheese; freshness from the arugula—which makes it an easy crowd-pleaser for patio brunches and backyard picnics.

What you’ll need to make a “ploughman’s lunch” tart:

Puff pastry dough: Using a pre-made puff pastry dough is what keeps this recipe nearly as simple as the classic pub lunch. You can find this in the freezer section of most mainstream grocery stores and you will want to follow the packaging instructions for thawing the dough and getting it ready to bake.
Two kinds of English cheese: Bread and cheese are at the core of this English classic, and for this tart, I opted to use an English cheddar (which gets melted and baked on to the pastry crust) and stilton (which gets added cold after the bake). For a more rustic vibe, I used a knife to cut each into rough shavings.
English pickle: In the U.S., you’ll probably imagine a brined cucumber when you hear the word “pickle” but when it comes to a classic cold pub lunch, this actually refers to a sweet-savory condiment that has the consistency of a relish or chutney, which at least can contain something pickled. Since the British condiment is not particularly well-known or prevalent in the U.S., I’ve included making it as part of this recipe, using Cornichons, fresh apples, and dried dates. I recommend using a variety of apple that has a bright, sweet flavor, like honeycrisp, gala, or pink lady.
Sliced Jambon de Paris: A deli counter quality ham that is all natural and made with whole ham muscle, not trim. This is the good stuff that really adds substance to this tart.
Pearled Onions: Did you know that each jar of Cornichons contains a couple of cheeky little pearl onions? Since onions were another common component of even the oldest versions of a ploughman’s lunch, I thought it was totally worthwhile to fish those cute onions out of the jar and include them on this tart. If you’ve already eaten yours, you can skip this topping.
Arugula: A nod to the more modern versions of a ploughman’s lunch, this frilly green adds a peppery element to the tart as well as a pretty-looking freshness.

There are three main steps for making this tart:

First is making the condiment that really ties together all the toppings. I decided to make my own version but don’t worry—there’s not much that you have to do here but chop things up and simmer them together until they become thick and jammy, but the end result is this complex, wonderfully rustic thing that is going to make this tart feel homemade with love despite its other easy shortcuts. You could definitely make this a couple of days before you plan to make the tart.

Second is baking up the puff pastry crust for the tart. Rolling out the prepared puff pastry a bit will repair any cracks and smooth out any folds. You’ll want a nice border that gets super puffy along the edges of the tart while creating a flatter center where the toppings will be contained. This effect is done by scoring off the border using a sharp knife, taking care to not cut all the way through. Then, you’ll want to dock the center with a fork so that area doesn’t puff up as much where the toppings go. I opted to only add the apple relish and some shaved English cheddar while the tart crust is baking, while keeping the other toppings cold to more closely resemble the cold lunch that was the source of inspiration for this recipe.

Last is adding the remaining toppings—the high quality sliced ham and a pungent English stilton cheese really keep to that cold pub lunch theme, but for the finishing touch I also like to add the arugula on there for a nice fresh peppery bite.

Note that the included recipe for the relish makes more than you’ll need for this tart. For what to do with the rest, I suggest creating delicious tiny nibbles by dolloping it on Petits Toasts or dishing it out on a beautiful charcuterie board alongside the Charcuterie Trio for some sweet tang,