Breakfast
Full English Breakfast
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- 4 Streaky bacon rashers
- 4 Pork sausages
- 2 large Eggs
- 200 g (3/4 cup) Baked beans
- 2 medium Tomatoes, halved
- 100 g (3 1/2 oz) Button mushrooms
- 2 slices White bread, for toast
- 20 g (1 1/2 tbsp) Butter
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
Method
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and cook the sausages for 12 to 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through.
- Add the bacon to the pan and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side until crisp; remove sausages and bacon and keep warm.
- In the same pan, fry the mushrooms and halved tomatoes, cut-side down, for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
- Warm the baked beans in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Fry the eggs in a little of the remaining fat over medium heat until the whites are set and the yolks still soft, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Toast the bread and spread with butter.
- Arrange the sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, beans, eggs and toast together on warmed plates and serve immediately.
Introduction: The full English breakfast, a plate of fried eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomato and toast, developed from the substantial gentry breakfasts of the 13th century and became standardised as a hearty working-class and hospitality staple through the Victorian era, remaining an enduring symbol of English morning hospitality today.
Cultural Background: The full English breakfast, a plate of fried eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomato and toast, developed from the substantial gentry breakfasts of the 13th century and became standardised as a hearty working-class and hospitality staple through the Victorian era, remaining an enduring symbol of English morning hospitality today.
Storage: Best assembled and eaten fresh; individual cooked components can be refrigerated separately for up to 1 day.
Reheating: Reheat components separately in a frying pan over medium heat, or in an oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 10 minutes; eggs are best cooked fresh rather than reheated.
Tips: Cook the sausages first as they take the longest, then use their rendered fat to fry the other components for extra flavour. Keep cooked items warm in a low oven while finishing the rest, so everything reaches the table hot together.
Variations: A vegetarian version substitutes plant-based sausages and omits the bacon, adding hash browns or extra mushrooms. Black pudding is a common regional addition in some households. Fried bread can replace toast for a more traditional, indulgent version. For a vegetarian version, replace the pork sausages and bacon with plant-based sausages and grilled halloumi or extra mushrooms, keeping the eggs, beans, tomatoes and toast unchanged.
Nutrition: Calories: 620 kcal | Protein: 32 g | Carbs: 30 g | Fat: 40 g
FAQs:
Q: What makes a breakfast ‘full English’ rather than just a fry-up?
A: The ‘full’ designation traditionally means all the core elements are present together: eggs, bacon, sausage, beans, tomato, mushroom and toast, rather than just one or two fried items.
Q: Can I prepare parts of this ahead for a crowd?
A: Yes, sausages, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes can be part-cooked ahead and finished together in the oven, though eggs are best fried fresh to order.
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