Ploughman’s platter with piccalilli

Credit: Feast magazine

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  25 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 200 g each blue, vintage cheddar and Edam cheeses
• 150 g each sliced ham, bresaola and salami
• pickled onions, Dijon and wholegrain mustard and grain bread, to serve

Piccalilli

• 450 g (about ¼) cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 100 g green beans, cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, quartered lengthwise, seeded, cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1 small fennel bulb, cored, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, halved lengthwise, sliced on the diagonal
• 8 small pickling or bulb spring onions, quartered
• 125 g (½ cup) cooking salt
• 250 ml (1 cup) apple cider vinegar
• 375 ml (1½ cup) white wine vinegar
• 75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
• 1 tbsp pickling spice mix (see Note)
• 40 g butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 tbsp capers, drained

Start the piccalilli recipe a day ahead.

Instructions

To make piccalilli, place vegetables in a large bowl, add the salt and toss to combine. Place an upturned plate on top of vegetables, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Rinse vegetable mixture under running water, then drain. Cook vegetables in a large saucepan of simmering water for 5 minutes or until carrots start to change colour. Drain, and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place vinegars, sugar and spice mix in a saucepan over high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced by one-third. Allow to cool, then strain, discarding solids.

Melt butter in a saucepan over high heat. Add flour, mustard and turmeric, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until darkened. Add vinegar mixture and cook, whisking, for 3 minutes or until thickened. Add chilli flakes and capers, and season with pepper. Add mixture to vegetables and toss to combine, then transfer to sterilised jars. Piccalilli will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Makes 4 cups.

Serve piccalilli as part of a ploughman’s platter with the cheeses, cold meats, pickled onions, mustards and bread.

Note

• Pickling spice mixes commonly contain mustard seeds, black peppercorns and cloves, among other spices. Available from supermarkets and delis.

Also written by Kirrily La Rosa and Wendy Quisumbing. Photography by Chris Chen.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.