Breakfast. Full English. The Full Monty. A fry-up – call it what you want, but there are very few nations in the world that can create a breakfast better than the British. Digging into a piping hot fry up is an experience in itself that can set you right no matter what situation you may have gotten yourself into. What is included in your fry-up is a matter of taste, as well as a region!
Read on to get yourself a full English breakfast in the comfort of your home.
Ingredients:
- 2 sausages
- 2-3 rashers of bacon
- 2 flat mushrooms
- 1-2 ripe tomatoes
- 1 thick slice of black pudding
- 1 large egg
- 1 slice of bread
Instructions:
- Heat the flat grill plate over low heat and brush with light olive oil
- Add the sausages to the hot grill plate (the coolest part if there is one) and allow to cook slowly for about 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden
- After the first 10 minutes, increase the heat to medium before beginning to cook the other ingredients
- Snip a few small cuts into the fatty edge of the bacon
- Place the bacon straight on the grill plate and fry for 2-4 minutes on each side or until your preferred crispiness is reached
- The cooked sausages and bacon can be kept hot on a plate in the oven
- For the mushrooms, brush away any dirt using a pastry brush and trim the stalk
- Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil on the mushrooms. Place stalk-side up on the grill plate and cook for 1-2 minutes before turning and cooking the mushrooms for another 3-4 minutes
- Avoid moving the mushrooms too much while cooking as this releases the natural juices of the mushrooms, making them soggy
- Cut the tomatoes across the centre/or in half lengthways if using plum tomatoes, and with a small, sharp knife remove the green ‘eye’
- Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil
- Place cut-side down on the grill plate and cook for 2 minutes
- Gently turn over and season again
- Cook for a another 2-3 minutes until tender
- For the black pudding – cut the black pudding into 3-4 slices and remove the skin
- Place on the grill plate and cook for 1½-2 minutes on each side until slightly crisp
- For ‘proper’ fried bread, it’s best to cook it in a separate pan. Ideally, use bread that is a few days old
- Heat a frying pan on medium heat and cover the base with oil
- Add the bread and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy and golden
- If the pan becomes too dry, add a little more oil
- For a richer flavour, add a knob of butter to the bread
- For the fried eggs, break the egg straight into the pan with the fried bread and leave for 30 seconds
- Add a good knob of butter and lightly splash/baste the egg with the butter when melted
- Cook to your preferred stage, season and gently remove
- Once all the ingredients are cooked, serve on warm plates and enjoy straight away with a good squeeze of tomato ketchup or brown sauce.