Full English Breakfast
This recipe has been designed for two English Breakfasts. If you want to cook for four people then simply double the ingredients. You will however need an additional frying pan if you want to cook all the bacon at the same time.
4 pork sausages
6 rashers back bacon
2 medium sized tomatoes
Large can of baked beans
Black pudding - enough for 6 slices
2 slices of bread
2 large mushrooms
2 medium eggs
Vegetable oil
The preparation can be done while the sausages are cooking (see recipe instructions below).
Cut the tomatoes in half.
Slice the black pudding into approximately 2cm slices.
Peel and slice the mushrooms.
Heat three oven rings to a low / medium heat (important only if using electric cooker).
Heat the grill to medium and heat the oven to low.
There is no one definition of a full English Breakfast although our recipe below is a good starting point. In fact the ingredients vary depending on where in England it is served. Clearly if you don't like a particular ingredient then leave it out, and if there is a particular ingredient you like then add it at the correct time.
"English Breakfast" dates back to the late 1300's but at that time did not resemble the English Breakfast we know today. The ingredients first started to become standardised into the meal we eat today during the early 1900's. By the 1950's an English breakfast was served every day in may households.
"Greasy Spoon" cafes were some of the best places to eat an English breakfast, but these declined in number from the 1970's onwards.
The complication with a full English Breakfast is that the ingredients are not combined, they need to be cooked separately. Different ingredients also require different cooking times and all this combines to a meal which is difficult to get right. But our time line recipe, starting at 20 minutes to go, makes this recipe as easy as as it can get.
Just prove that it can all be done in around twenty minutes, we made a one-take video of the full breakfast being cooked. Have a look at it, not for its professional photography or presentation (which are sadly lacking!), but because it may well give you some ideas.
At the end of this recipe we go through all the ingredients in more detail including cooking times with hints and tips.
20 Minutes to 9 Minutes Remaining Prepare the tomatoes, black pudding and mushrooms as described above.
9 Minutes Remaining Frying Pan 2 - Add a tablespoon of oil to the pan on a medium heat, place the bacon rashers in the pan.
Place the tomatoes under the pre-heated grill, cut side up.
6 Minutes Remaining Pour the baked beans into a small pan on a low heat. During the heating of the beans, stir them occasionally to stop them sticking to the base of the pan.
Frying Pan 2 - Place the black pudding into the frying pan.
5 Minutes Remaining Frying Pan 1 - Remove the sausages and store in the pre-heated oven on a plate.
Frying Pan 1 - Add two tablespoons of oil to the pan and place two half slices of bread in the pan. Move them around to ensure the underside is evenly coated in oil.
Frying Pan 1 - Add the mushrooms to the pan.
4 Minutes Remaining Frying Pan 2 - Turn the bacon over in the pan.
Turn the tomatoes over under the grill.
Place two large plates in the oven to warm them before serving.
3 Minutes Remaining Frying Pan 2 - Remove the cooked bacon (leaving the oil in the pan) and place on a plate in the warm oven.
Frying Pan 2 - Carefully crack the eggs into the frying pan. Leave them to cook spooning a little hot oil over the top twice.
2 Minutes Remaining Frying Pan 1 - Turn the mushrooms in the pan to ensure they are evenly fried.
Frying Pan 1 - Turn the fried bread to ensure both sides are cooked. Move them around to ensure they are coated in oil.
0 Minutes Remaining Ensure all the ingredients are cooked then plate up for a delicious Full English Breakfast. And don't forget the tomatoes in the oven as we did!
THE INGREDIENTS AND COOKING TIMES DISSECTED!
FRIED BREAD
Fry on a medium heat for four minutes on one side then three minutes on the other side giving a total
frying time of seven minutes.
Fried bread will keep well for
up to ten minutes in a warmed oven if needed. We used a homemade brown bread. A good
brown bread would always be our choice. Some people swear by white bread.
SAUSAGES
Pork sausages are the most traditional for a full English Breakfast although any sausage of your choice is fine. Ours were medium-sized and we fried them in a little oil for 15 minutes on a medium to low heat. They should be turned every four minutes to ensure that all sides are evely browned.
Freshly cooked sausages will keep in a warm oven for ten minutes.
FRIED EGG
Use medium or small eggs, they cook and look better compared to large or extra large eggs as far as fried eggs are concerned.
Fried eggs will not keep and need to be served very soon after they are cooked.
They take about three minutes to cook on a medium heat. Don't cook them on a low, slow heat this will only make the base of the egg a bit leathery. If you like to flip your eggs, allow about 20 seconds extra cooking time.
BACON
We suggest using back bacon because it is more traditional for a full English breakfast. Streaky bacon is also good.
Cook for 4½ minutes on one side without turning and then for three minutes on the other side. Cooked bacon will keep in a warm oven for five minutes.
BLACK PUDDING
Slice about 2cm thick and cook on a medium heat for thee minutes and 2½ minutes on the other side. This will give you black pudding which is slightly crispy on the outside but warm and moist on the inside. Black pudding will keep in a warm oven for up to 10 minutes
TOMATOES
We used medium sized rather flat shaped tomatoes. These were then sliced in half across rather than down to expose the maximum area of the tomato. They were grilled on a medium heat for 5 minutes on the cut side up and then turned and grilled for a further 4 minutes. They will keep in a warm oven for 5 minutes
MUSHROOMS
For fried mushrooms use large open mushrooms which have been peeled and sliced. Fry one side on a medium heat for 2½ minutes, turn and fry for a further 1½ minutes. They will keep in a warm oven for five to ten minutes.