Full English Breakfast: A Hearty Start to Your Day
Bacon, sausages, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, and beans all on one plate: is a Full English breakfast the most ultimate breakfast ever?
Confession: I’ve never had a real full English, at least not in England or anywhere in the world in fact, except right here, at home. But a couple of weeks ago, I was chatting with a friend from England, and the thing he missed the most was breakfast, specifically a Full English breakfast. He described the deliciousness for a good five minutes, but I wasn’t sold until I saw a photo. It was a giant plate and it looked AMAZING. I mean, it might have been because I was very hungry, but at the time, nothing looked better to my eyes. Thus started the Full English obsession.
What is a Full English Breakfast?
Sometimes called a fry up, a Full English is a hearty, hefty breakfast plate served in the UK and Ireland. Full English breakfasts are so popular that they’re pretty much offered throughout the day as all-day breakfast. A classic Full English breakfast contains sausages, back bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread, and beans.
Ingredients:
- 4 links sausages (breakfast sausage preferred)
- 4 slices back bacon or Irish bacon
- 4 slices black pudding (optional)
- 1 cup mushrooms, halved or sliced
- 2 small tomatoes, halved
- 4 slices bread
- 4 eggs
- 1 can beans (Heinz preferred)
How to Make a Full English Breakfast
- Warm the Beans: Open the can of beans and warm in a small pot over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Cook the Sausages and Bacon: While the beans are warming, cook the sausages over medium to medium-low heat until browned and cooked through, turning as needed. Push the sausages to one side and add the bacon, frying and flipping as needed.
- Cook the Black Pudding: If you’re having black pudding, add it to the pan and fry, flipping once. Keep everything warm in the pan over a low flame.
- Cook the Mushrooms and Tomatoes: In another pan, sear the mushrooms until brown and caramelized. Move to one side. Add the tomatoes, cut side down, and sear.
- Fry the Bread and Eggs: Move the meats from the pan and fry the bread in the drippings until golden and crisp. Cook the eggs in the pan that the mushrooms and tomatoes were in.
- Plate and Enjoy: Scoop the beans in the middle of the plate, then add the bacon at 1-2 o’clock, the sausages at 3 o’clock, then the eggs at 6. If you have black pudding, place it at 8 o’clock and fill the rest of the plate with the tomatoes at 11 o’clock and the mushrooms at 12. Fried bread can be tucked in wherever or placed on a side plate. Enjoy!
Helpful Hints:
- Sausages: Choose good sausages, preferably from your local butcher.
- Black Pudding: Not an absolute necessity but commonly included.
- English Bacon: Use back bacon made from pork loin with a bit of belly.
- Eggs: Typically served sunny side up but can be cooked to your preference.
- Tomatoes and Mushrooms: Use classic field tomatoes and simple brown mushrooms.
- Fried Bread: Thick-cut bread fried in a pan with oil or drippings, not toasted.
