Deliciously crisp and crunchy. These onions are pickled in malt vinegar and a mixture of coriander, bay, mustard seeds, cloves and black peppercorns. Perfect with cold meats, salads, quiches and sausage rolls.

Net weight 450g. Typical drained weight 230g.

Here’s a great recipe that uses pickled onions.

Chicken and cheddar cobbler pie

Ingredients

For the filling
75g/2⅔oz unsalted butter
125g/4½oz pickled onions drained
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
2 tbsp plain flour
500ml/18fl oz chicken stock
2 tsp Dijon mustard
150ml/5fl oz single cream
1 rotisserie chicken, removed from the carcass and torn into bite-sized pieces
150g/5½oz purple sprouting broccoli, stalks chopped, florets left whole or halved if large
100g/3½oz baby spinach
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the cobbler dumplings

225g/8oz cold butter, cubed
475g self-raising flour
100g/3½oz cheddar, grated.

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

Melt the butter in a medium, ovenproof casserole dish. Add the pickled onions in malt vinegar and carrot and fry gently for 5 minutes, or until softened with a little colour. Add the thyme leaves and flour and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time.

Gradually add the stock, whisking briskly until it thickens. If it goes a little lumpy, don’t worry, just whisk vigorously until it becomes smooth.

Season well and add the mustard. Pour in the cream and stir through, along with the chicken, broccoli and spinach. Let the spinach wilt as you simmer for a minute, then set aside.

Make the dumplings by rubbing the butter and flour together in a bowl until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add most of the cheese and season. Briskly mix in enough cold water with a knife to make a dough (about 175-200ml/6-7fl oz), then bring it together into a ball using your hands. Knead slightly, before rolling into 20 dumplings, each about the size of a golf ball.

Arrange the dumplings on top of the chicken mix in the casserole, starting from the outside and leaving a little space between each to allow for rising. Work your way to the inside to cover the mixture. Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes until the dumplings are risen and golden. Serve straight away.