British
Full English Breakfast
A proper British fry-up with bacon, sausages, eggs, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding, and crisp fried bread. Everything is cooked so the plate arrives hot, hearty, and ready for a pot of tea.
Ingredients
- British pork sausages4
- Back bacon rashers4
- Black pudding slices4
- Large eggs4
- Baked beans in tomato sauce400g tin
- Large flat mushrooms2
- Ripe tomatoes2, halved
- White bread2 thick slices
- Unsalted butter25g
- Vegetable oil2 tbsp
- Saltto taste
- Freshly ground black pepperto taste
- HP sauce or brown sauceto serve
Method
- Heat the oven to 120°C and place two serving plates inside to warm.
- Put the sausages in a large frying pan over medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of oil and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, turning often, until deeply browned and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, warm the baked beans gently in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally and not letting them boil hard.
- Add the bacon to the sausage pan for the final 6 to 8 minutes, frying until the fat is golden and the edges are crisp; transfer the sausages and bacon to the warm oven.
- Melt half the butter in the same pan and cook the mushrooms gill-side down for 3 minutes, then turn and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more; season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
- Place the tomato halves cut-side down in the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn and cook for another 2 minutes until softened and lightly charred; keep warm.
- Fry the black pudding slices for 2 to 3 minutes per side until dark and crisp at the edges; transfer to the warm oven.
- Add the remaining oil and butter to the pan and fry the bread for 1 to 2 minutes per side until crisp, golden, and well browned; drain briefly on kitchen paper.
- Fry the eggs in the remaining fat over medium heat until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, spooning a little hot fat over the whites if needed.
- Arrange two sausages, two bacon rashers, two slices of black pudding, two eggs, one mushroom, two tomato halves, fried bread, and a spoonful of beans on each warm plate.
- Serve immediately with brown sauce on the side.
Common questions
Can I substitute the British pork sausages or back bacon in a Full English breakfast?
Yes. Use good-quality pork sausages or chipolatas, or swap back bacon for streaky bacon, Canadian bacon, or unsmoked ham. Keep cooking times similar, but thinner cuts will brown faster and may need less time.
How do I time everything so the breakfast is hot at the same moment?
Start sausages first, since they take the longest. Warm beans gently throughout, add bacon near the end, then cook mushrooms and tomatoes while the meat rests in a low oven. Fry eggs and black pudding last, just before serving.
What are the most common mistakes when cooking a Full English breakfast?
The biggest mistakes are overheating the beans, overcrowding the pan, and cooking everything on too high a heat. That leads to burnt bacon, split sausages, soggy mushrooms, and rubbery eggs. Cook steadily and keep items warm separately.
How should I store leftovers from a Full English breakfast?
Cool everything quickly, then refrigerate in separate airtight containers within 2 hours. Eat within 2 days. Reheat sausages, bacon, beans, mushrooms, and tomatoes until piping hot; eggs are best cooked fresh and usually do not reheat well.
What’s the best way to serve Full English breakfast?
Serve on warm plates with sausages, bacon, black pudding, eggs, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, and toast or fried bread. Add brown sauce or HP sauce on the side, and season the eggs and tomatoes lightly with salt and pepper.