The fry up or full English breakfast is the stuff of legends and source of many arguments, this is how I make my King of hangover cures.
This dish is nothing more than a collection of ingredients on a plate, so rather than a “recipe” this is a timing plan to make sure everything is perfect at the same time. I even give you some hints for things that I omit on my breakfast!
The Famed Full English Breakfast
Much is written about the full English breakfast, or the fry up as I always call it and I have no desire to revisit the rights and wrongs of what is and what isn’t appropriate to add to your breakfast.
I do however want to help you with the timing of the full English, which let’s face it, is where the challenge is.
We all know how to cook sausages and bacon and beans and eggs… etc etc. Cooking them on a standard 4 ring hob and getting it all ready at the same time at its best is where the challenge lies.
As far as I am concerned my perfect breakfast compromises of 7 items, sausage, smoked streaky bacon, black pudding, baked beans, fried egg, mushrooms and fried bread.
My wife usually requests hash browns, and toast rather than fried bread, tinned tomatoes or grilled/fried tomatoes are also common additions.
Occasionally breakfast potatoes, similar to my fried potatoes are added, which I personally find odd!
I’ll add timings for the hash browns, tomato options as well as toast.
You can of course use a grill (broiler) or oven to do lots of the heavy lifting, however, I find that this is an inferior way to make a full English… frying as far as I am concerned, is essential!
Frequently Asked Questions
What sort of sausages should I use?
You want a nice British breakfast banger for a proper fry-up.
I make my own homemade sausages but something good from your local butcher would be awesome… and of course, you can use your favourite supermarket offerings.
I would personally avoid anything with fruit, like pork and apple or anything that has paprika or chilli in it.
What bacon should I use?
I’ve ALWAYS preferred streaky bacon for pretty much everything, I’ve never really understood why people would choose back bacon. But I know you guys are out there, and guess what if you like it use it, the timing is almost identical.
I also always go for smoked bacon, I love the taste.
Do I have to add black pudding?
For me, it ain’t complete without black pudding! But it’s your brekkie and you are a grown-up, if you don’t like it, don’t cook it!
Fried bread, really?
I think fried bread on a full English is an age thing. It always featured on everyone I had growing up and it still features today.
But it has to be done right, it must be fried in a combination of the fat released by the sausages and bacon. If it isn’t don’t bother, have toast instead!
Can I add poached or scrambled egg?
You do you, I think they are glorious things but really don’t form part of a fry-up for me.
I also think you are a glutton for punishment trying to poach eggs or even make perfect scrambled eggs and get everything else cooked perfectly too.
Serving Suggestions
There are a few things that I do not add to my fry up that are common to many others.
The first is hash browns… I blame Mcdonalds! Hash browns are delicious, but not here, however, my wife always requests them. I always cook frozen hash browns in the air fryer.
Next up is toast, as I mentioned above I prefer fried bread. Toast is great though, it is a personal choice and I take the “fry” in the name very seriously!
Finally, tomatoes, I’ve never really understood their addition particularly if you have baked beans, which are a must for me.
Tomatoes are usually tinned plum tomatoes or grilled or fried half tomatoes.
The only time tomatoes get near my breakfast is if I am breaking out the bloody mary. Which honestly is a glorious addition if you are aiming at shifting a hangover.
A left-field option for an addition, are Irish boxty pancakes and maybe a little white pudding.
Equipment Used
I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- Oven, baking tray and cooling rack. This is needed to keep things warm when they finish cooking.
- Frying pans, I usually use 3 frying pans. One large 30cm or 12″ pan and two 24cm or 10″ pans.
- 15cm or 6″ saucepan.
- Kitchen tongs and fish slices or spatulas.
- Stirring and serving spoon for the beans.
The Full English Fry Up Breakfast Recipe
Timing is the to executing the perfect English breakfast or fry up, it is all very easy if you get good ingredients and a solid plan! You are in charge of the former, I'll help with the latter.
Ingredients
- 6 Thick (450g Total) Pork Sausages
- 6 Slices (125g Total) Streaky Bacon
- 2 Thick Slices (200g Total) Black Pudding
- 2 Portobello Mushrooms
- 2 Slices Thick Sliced Bread
- 400g (14oz) Tin Baked Beans
- 2 Eggs
- Oil for frying the eggs and getting the sausages started
- 15g (1 Tbsp) Butter
Instructions
- MINUTE 0-14: Place a 30cm or 12" frying pan on a low-medium heat and whilst the pan is still cold add the sausages. Roll the sausages back and forth for the first 3-4 minutes slowly heating the sausage skin all over without colouring or searing it. After the first few minutes increase the heat to medium-high and cook for another 10 minutes constantly moving to get a nice even colour. Then transfer the sausages to the oven preheated oven at 150°C or 300°F to keep warm.
- MINUTE 12-COMPLETION: Heat a second 24cm or 10" frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter, when it begins to foam add the mushrooms stalk side down and cook for 3-4 minutes, You should time add the mushrooms when the sausages have a couple of minutes left. Then flip the mushroom, add 2-3 tablespoons of water, a pinch of salt, reduce the heat to low and add a lid and cook until everything is ready.
- MINUTE 15-19: Add the bacon to the sausage pan and turn the heat up to high, cook for 1-2 minutes per side then transfer it to the oven.
- MINUTE 20-24: Add the black pudding to the frying pan that you cooked the bacon and sausages in, cook it for 2 minutes on each side and transfer it to the oven.
- MINUTE 19-COMPLETION: Whilst the black pudding is cooking place the beans in a 15cm or 6" saucepan and gently heat them.
- MINUTE 25-COMPLETION: Just before the black pudding is cooked heat a third 24cm or 10" frying pan over a medium-high heat with enough oil to form a thin layer on the base of the pan.
- MINUTE 25-COMPLETION: Finally, you just need to fry the bread in the pan in which you fried the bacon, sausages and black pudding, then fry the egg in the third frying pan mentioned in stage 6.
- At this point, everything should be perfectly cooked and ready to rock and roll.
OPTIONAL EXTRAS:
- If you want tinned tomatoes place them in a similarly sized pan to the beans and put them on at the same time as the beans at stage 5.
- If you want hashbrowns you have a choice to make, find a different way to keep everything warm or cook them in the air fryer. I would choose the latter, they take around 15 minutes in an air fryer at 180°C or 350°F, so put them in a few minutes before you transfer the sausages to the oven at the end of stage 1.
- If you want fried tomatoes, cut them in half and fry them for 2-3 minutes, I would usually do this on the side of the pan that I fry the bread in at stage 4. Don't forget to season the tomatoes with plenty of salt and pepper.
Notes
If your sausages are not nicely coloured up you can delay the start of the rest of the ingredients until they are.
The timings for this recipe are not set in stone and will depend on the temperature that you are cooking at, so be prepared to be flexible.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1682Total Fat: 114gSaturated Fat: 44gCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 19gSugar: 19gProtein: 87g