English breakfast. The Full English. A fry-up. Whatever you want to call it, there are very few cuisines in the world that do a breakfast plate better than the British. According to the English Breakfast Society, “The full English breakfast is a centuries old British tradition which dates back to the early 1800’s, when the Victorians first perfected the art of eating breakfast and elevated the most important meal of the day into an art form.“
When you come down for breakfast at an English hotel, you’ll most likely be greeted with “Good Morning, full English?” Just nod knowingly to be introduced to this amazing concept, the Full English Breakfast. It’s so popular in the UK that the airport restaurants all serve it no matter the time of day. During the inevitable several hour layover at England’s Heathrow Airport, there are three “can’t miss” things to do: get a full English breakfast, visit the Duty Free shop to get a tin of Harrods # 42 Earl Gray tea, and pick-up a box of Belgian chocolate truffles.
British Full English Breakfast
Equipment
- Large skillet
- large nonstick frying pan
Ingredients
- 8 fat Breakfast sausage, bangers or other mild sausages
- 12 strips Bacon, back bacon (Irish or Canadian) or American-style
- 8 large Eggs
- 2 medium Ripe tomatoes, halved across the middle
- 12 oz White mushrooms, whole
- 1 large Can of Heinz baked beans
- 8 slices White bread
- Salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Grill Bacon – Cut a few notches along the bacon's fat. Put bacon in a large skillet and turn heat to medium. Cook until both sides are crispy but not burned. Transfer to paper towels.Heat 4 large plates in the oven then move to the counter to be filled as items are cooked.
- Fry Bread, Tomatoes, and Mushrooms – In same skillet, fry 4 bread slices until they become crispy. Transfer to center of each plate. Add tomato halves and mushrooms to skillet and fry a short time, 3-4 minutes. Transfer a tomato half and a few mushrooms next to fried bread on each warmed plate.
- Fry Sausages – Fry sausages in same pan until cooked through and browned. Move to paper towels.
- Toast Things – Toast 4 slices, if using. Move to hot plate. Toast 4 slices of bread and move to a small plate or basket. Cover. Microwave baked beans at the same time and add a scoop of beans to each plate.
- Fry Eggs – Fry 2 eggs per person in a light buttered large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook them sunny side-up so the yolk leaks into everything. As soon as whites are no longer runny, you're there. Place 2 eggs over the fried toast in the middle of each plate.
- Assemble and Serve – Put out butter, orange juice, jam and marmalade, tea or coffee, salt and pepper, the toast, and maybe ketchup, Tabasco, and HP Brown sauce (if you can get it). Arrange sausage and bacon on plates and serve.
