Bacon, sausages, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, toast, and beans all on one plate: is a Full English breakfast the most ultimate breakfast ever?
Confession: I’ve never had a real full English. At least not in England or anywhere in world in fact, except right here, at home. But a couple of weeks ago, Mike and I were chatting with a dude that moved here from England and the thing he said he missed the most was breakfast, specifically a Full English breakfast. He waxed poetic about the deliciousness for a good five minutes, but I wasn’t sold. Mike was nodding along, agreeing with him because he’s eaten many a full English in London, but me? Nope.
I really wasn’t interested until Mike showed me a photo a couple days later. It was a giant plate and it looked AMAZING. I mean, it might have been because I was very hungry, but at the time, nothing looked better to my eyes. Thus started the Full English Obsession. Mike and I took a casual look around town to see what ingredients we could find and here’s what we came up with!
What is a full English breakfast?
Sometimes called a fry up, a full English is a hearty, hefty breakfast plate served in the UK and Ireland. Full English breakfasts are so popular that they’re pretty much offered throughout the day as all-day breakfast. Full English breakfasts contain: sausages, back bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread, and beans.
According to the internet, full English breakfasts need:
- Sausages – I think everyone just goes with whatever sausages they like, but sometimes there are 2-3 kinds on a plate. We went with regular breakfast sausages and we also got a bit of black pudding, which seems like most people insist on having as well.
- Back Bacon – This isn’t your regular bacon, which is made from pork belly, nope, back bacon is bacon that includes a little bit of the loin, kinda like a super thin pork chop but smoked. From what I can see, this kind of bacon isn’t really crispy.
- Eggs – Pretty straight forward, all the full English plates I’ve seen have sunny side up eggs.
- Tomatoes – These guys are cut in half along the equator and then seared in the pan and seasoned with salt and pepper. They aren’t really cooked, just given a little bit of color.
- Mushrooms – Seems like a take or leave it item, but we’re going all out here so of course mushrooms are needed. They’re cooked in the usual way, nicely browned and caramelized
- Toast – Don’t call it toast because I’ve seen some internet fights break out about the bread. You can’t just use a toaster and call it a day. The bread has to be FRIED, either with butter or oil.
- Beans – You have to have beans! I mean, I’ve never really had beans at breakfast, but it’s classic. We went for Heinz because that’s what they do in England and because their teal cans are too cute.
Annotated by Mike
How to make a full English Breakfast
It takes a bit of juggling and two pans, because making a full English is mostly about multitasking. You can do it!
- Warm the beans. Open the can of beans and warm in a small pot over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Cook the sausages and bacon. While the beans are warming, cook the sausages over medium to medium low, until browned and cooked through, turning as needed. Push the sausages to one side and add the bacon and fry, flipping as needed.
- If you’re having black pudding, add it to the pan and fry, flipping once. Keep everything warm in the pan over a low flame.
- Cook the mushrooms and tomatoes. In another pan, sear the mushrooms until brown and caramelized. Move to one side. Add the tomatoes, cut side down and sear.
- Fry the bread and cook the eggs. Move the meats from the pan and fry the bread in the drippings until golden and crisp. Cook the eggs in the pan that the mushrooms and tomatoes were in.
- Plate and enjoy! Scoop the beans in the middle of the plate then add the bacon at 1-2 o’clock, add the sausages at 3 o’clock, then the eggs at 6. If you have blood pudding, pop that on at 8 o’clock and then fill the rest of the plate with the tomatoes at 11 o’clock and the mushrooms at 12. Fried bread can get tucked in wherever or placed on a side plate. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- Sausages. Chose good sausages, preferably ones that are from your local butcher instead of supermarket sausages. Go for a fresh coarse ground pork sausage that’s seasoned simply. In the UK the sausages of choice are usually coarse ground Cumberland or Lincolnshire sausages.
- Black pudding. Not an absolute necessity but black pudding is super common and for black pudding lovers it’s a hill they will die on. You can get this when you’re buying sausages at your butcher. If they don’t have black pudding, ask for blood sausage.
- English Bacon. The bacon in the UK is not the bacon we know in North America. Back bacon is made from pork loin with a bit of belly. It’s the same cut pork chops, but thinner and smoked. Again, you can usually get this a good butcher.
- Eggs. All the eggs I’ve ever seen in a full English are sunny side up but you can go wild and cook them how you like. I don’t think the English breakfast police will come after you ;)
- Tomatoes. Classic field tomatoes, not romas, not cherry, not anything super fancy.
- Mushrooms. Simple brown (or cremini) mushrooms, halved.
- Fried bread. Thick cut bread fried in a pan with oil or drippings and never toasted. I think a standard supermarket white loaf is what’s needed, not a sourdough or country loaf. Definitely not brown!
- Beans. They’ve got to be Heinz!
Potatoes/hashbrowns
Any sort of potato is frowned upon on a full English. They’re seen as filler. If you even think of putting fries on, someone might get stabbed. You could do bubble and squeak (potatoes and cabbage mixed together and fried) but even then, some people are going to come after you.
Do they serve hash browns with Full English breakfasts?
Some people serve hash browns with a full English and some people think it is sacrilegious. Hash browns are more modern addition and that’s why they are so contentious. When you do see hash browns on a full English, they typically tend to be the triangle frozen variety as opposed to home made shredded potatoes. If you want a potato product that isn’t hash browns, bubble and squeak (fried potatoes and cabbage) is probably much more traditional.
Which kind of baked beans?
British baked beans are absolutely a key part of a full English. British style beans are made with beans and a tomato sauce seasoned with carrots, celery and Worcestershire. American style Southern baked beans are usually cooked with bacon and brown sugar, with a much more thick sauce. Go for British style Heinz baked beans. A reader suggested Branson baked beans. We haven’t tried them but they’re spoken of very highly on the internet!
What to serve with a full English breakfast
Coffee or tea! Tea is traditionally English but coffee is perfectly acceptable too. Add milk, sugar, and/or cream based on personal preference.
We made this on a snowy morning and it was perfect! Lots of hot tea, big fluffy flakes falling down outside, and ALL the fried bread. But, to be honest, I’m not sure if I’m a huge fan. Call me a savage, but I think I love regular breakfast more. Mike on the other hand, LOVED it! He said it was as good as the full English breakfasts he had while he was in London. Me on the other hand? I didn’t eat for the rest of the day and went into a food coma – I was definitely full!
Happy breakfasting!
How to Make a Full English Breakfast
Ingredients
- 1 can beans Heinz preferred
- 4 links sausages breakfast sausage preferred
- 4 slices back bacon or Irish bacon
- 4 slices black pudding optional... some say
- 1 cup mushrooms halved or sliced
- 2 small tomatoes halved
- 4 slices bread
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Heat up the beans over low in a small pot. Keep warm on low.
- Cook the sausages over medium to medium low heat, turning occasionally, until brown and cooked through. In the same pan, cook the bacon, flipping as needed. Fry the blood pudding slices over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side.
- In another pan, heat up a bit of oil and cook the mushrooms, without moving, until brown and caramelized. Remove from the pan, then sear the cut side of the tomato briefly. Remove from the pan, season everything with salt and pepper.
- Wipe the pan down and heat up a bit of oil or butter over medium heat. Fry the bread until golden, flipping and adding more oil or butter as needed. Remove and set aside. Finally, fry the eggs to your liking. Plate everything up: sausages, bacon, black pudding, mushrooms, tomato, bread, and eggs. Enjoy immediately!
Boy, the English love their breakfasts. I remember visiting England when I graduated from high school. Their breakfasts are amazingly satisfying, probably better than any other meal (with the exception of their Prime Rib Roast with Yorkshire Puddings). Yum!
Just to be clear, please don’t think we eat this everyday! This is more of a treat, perhaps at a bed and breakfast or something once in a while. Also, toast in the regular sense is perfectly acceptable as is losing the black pudding,(ugh)!
heehee, yeah i figured it was a special occasion kind of breakfast :)
It’s a hangover and/ or lazy sunday morning breakfast!
Also, two notes. a) You’re missing the hash browns. I know they came from America originally, but they’re now integral!
b) The ‘fried’ bread thing is regional, more of a ‘Northern’ thing. I’m from the South East of England (though living in London) and most places back home if a place served fried bread instead of regular toast with their Full English, they’d warn you, because it’s unusual in the South.
ooh, i didn’t know about hash browns! i totally thought those were an american thing LOL
i quite liked the fried bread :)
Doesn’t have to be hash browns. Any form of fried potato will do, including chips, though they’re more common with an All Day Breakfast. Fancier places will do sauté potatoes, or some bubble and squeak (which you should definitely try making).
Went to boarding school in England (Taunton) for 5 years. The Full English we had there included chips, and that was back in the late ’70’s, so I dunno what all these “no potatoes” people are going on about.
Mind you, our Full Englishes happened on Sunday evenings rather than at any actual breakfast-time, but it still counts!
Fried bread is not a northern thing. I’m from the south east and it’s everywhere.
Hash browns are a definite no in a full English. Bubble and squeak yes.
Its not just a hangover cure/or lazy sunday breakfast ..maybe for women..but for men especially in the construction trade it is an every day thing..and fried bread was always served with it its not regional ..its only recently maybe the last 10 years or so that the fried bread has gone missing .and replaced with hash browns or fries/CHIPS.due the lack of english owned cafes now.and quick and easy plate fillers ..yuk
I have lived in the south east for 66 years and enjoyed the true full english all my life ..and if its got hash browns or chips its not a full english its a fry up..the full english was standardised.in the edwardian period to make it easy for hotels and the trains and other places that served the full english to maintain the quality.and everyone knew what they were getting….sausage egg bacon beans tomatoes mushrooms black pudding.fried slice and toast or bread and butter and jam or marmalade and orange juice and tea or coffee..in the east end of london they also added bubble and squeek.. scotland and wales and ireland had there own breakfasts..but with the main items.
Absolutely. Fried bread AND toast. In the north we dont see bubble and squeak very often with a full English, but fried potatoes are quite common. (Obviously before Wetherspoons dictated hash browns were an essential ingrediant)
You should be eating this everyday.
Somerset Maugham said that to eat well in England you had to eat breakfast three times a day.
As an englishman who cooks a full english every weekend, it can get kind of busy on the hobs. So in order to make this easier, i tend to cook the sausages in the oven on a lower heat as well as the bacon singlularly layered beteen two bits of parchment paper. It helps free up a hob.
Some brits do eat it every day. My parents generation it used to be a weekly breakfast every Sunday. These days it’s not as common because it’s seen as unhealthy.
Tomatoes for breakfast is also a Southern US thing.
Hello, I like the idea behind this recipe, but I would change a few things myself. I would replace the beans and sausages with vegetables. I think the beans and sausages are too much because you already have bacon on your plate and I think it will be too heavy.instead of using beans and sausages, I would make a nice salad. What I certainly like about this recipe is the combination of the tomatoes and the champigons. In short, I think it’s a good recipe when small things are changed.
You can’t change it. It’s a ‘Full English’
The beans are vegetables, and these beans do not have bacon or sausage in them like the American Baked Beans do. They’re just beans in tomato sauce and you need the tomato sauce, so the bread can soak it up and for dipping your sausage in.
It’s an English Breakfast you wanker!
It’s an English breakfast. If anyone in England heard the word salad you would have a fork in your eye
How on earth did you find the courage (read: audacity) to suggest changes to a Full English. Absolutely Silliness™️.
No, you cannot tweak a Full English breakfast to that extent…you can add bubble and squeak and omit the black pudding if you don’t like it…but that’s pretty much it…
You change it and call it something else, but not Full English.
Best comment, Geoffrey is lord of the dance, absolute silliness
The southern US have large weekend breakfasts with bacon, sausage or country ham, grits or hash browns, biscuits, eggs, gravy, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers with a little ranch or mayo, apple butter or jam/jelly with coffee or milk, and a sweet like a muffin or cinnamon rolls or baked apples. This is a weekend thing because most Americans are far too busy to prepare a meal this size daily. During the work week, it is us Bacon, scrambled eggs, grits, and buttered toast with coffee or milk. I know because this is the way my heart and I enjoy breakfast. It is far better than eating out separately. We talk about our plans for the day and then we clean things up and prepare to set out on our day. It is a nice way to start the day.
tomatoes have to be tinned ones, fried bread and toast, but deffo no hash browns, never an english brekkie with them
What about kippers?? We had them in Southern England ( Tonbridge Wells, Lyme Regis) And Ft. William, Scotland (very fresh).
Kippers are a traditional Scottish breakfast. Often served in Scottish bnbs. But they’re never part of a full English or full Scottish.
My suggested contents (not all at the same time): –
Eggs (traditionally fried but scrambled acceptable or poached at a pinch)
Bacon (back or streaky, the latter being well done – traditionally fried but grilling might help you to live longer)
Sausage (use plain, boring pork; save your lincolnshire, cumberland and others for “bangers and mash” – with thick onion gravy, of course – again fry or grill)
Tomato (personally I hate cooked, fresh toms, tinned are better for breakfast)
Mushrooms (simmer in milk for a few minutes, drain well then fry; they don’t tend to soak up so much cooking fat)
Beans (Heinz, of course; I think people who say they can’t tell the difference are kidding themselves)
Hash Browns (forget them as they’re tasteless and Irish potato cakes are infinitely superior)
Irish Potato Cakes (lightly fry, grill or toast – lovely any way)
Irish Soda Bread (lightly fry for a wonderful addition)
Black Pudding (for some reason b.p. rings taste better than the large sausage shaped stuff and can be eaten uncooked.
White Pudding (grains replace the congealed blood of the b.p. and make a great alternative/addition)
Fried Bread (use white sliced bread and soak both sided in the fat from the bacon & sausage then fry both sided until crispy and mid-brown)
Kidneys (half and cut out the core then fry – warning they’re an acquired taste and can ruin a meal!)
Y’all need to try salsa in place of the tomatoes. It’s a game changer <3
Nah mate, branson beans >>> heinz
A full English is simple. The original ingredients as above. NO lettuce, hash browns, soda bread, vegetables etc. If you want to add these, go ahead but don’t call the muck in front of you a Full English ‘cos it just isn’t!!! (Yorkshire born and Yorkshire bred strong of t’arm and thick of t’ead. And an honourary Scouser) But we can’t have everything.
That is the best Full English I’ve ever seen attempted in the USA. Served with HP sauce it is the best hangover cure.
It’s either Toast or it’s Fried Bread, the two are not the same. However, you can have both on the same plate. For good fried bread, the English sometimes use a broiler (aka grill in UK). My mum’s Yorkshire method: Cook the bacon using a broiler, catch the bacon fat in the broiler tray, dip the bread in the bacon fat (both sides), then place the bread on the broiler to cook. It’s actually toasting the bacon oiled bread. Delicious!
Try deep frying bread in a chip pan full of melted beef dripping. Thick sliced white bread is best, and the fat needs to be hot when you drop the bread in. Each slice will brown very quickly so give them only about 30 seconds on each side. You will not regret it, although your arteries probably will.
I miss this. South America has hardly any necessary ingredients for this and yes this is an everyday brekkie.
Why is very difficult to find English Crumpets in the US .. used to get them in Publix super market but no more.. & I love them, kinda like English muffins but much better ..yum
Rob,
I’ve seen English Crumpets at Trader Joes
How can you have a full English without bubble & squeak?
Undercooked eggs, undercooked beans, poor quality bacon and uneven cooking of the sausages. 5/10
Everything else is obviously cooked to preference, but how can you tell the beans are undercooked from a photo? Is it true that the English overcook everything because they hate their food?
The beans are already’cooked’ when canned at the factory, they just need warming through (never boil them) so they can’t possibly be undercooked! I like them cold too, straight out of the can, plenty of protein and fibre. Jed, no, that isn’t true, it’s quite a funny statement actually 😂
Total tosh.
Everything on that plate is perfectly cooked. The eggs are perfect fried eggs, that’s how we eat them.
The sausages have been fried so that’s why they look as they do, sausages curl while frying so they can only be browned on two sides.
The bacon is of good quality and is perfectly cooked how we like it here.
As for the baked beans, they can’t ever be undercooked. They are cooked properly in the factory before canning, they only ever need warming up before serving.
sorry to be insulting my friend, you have no idea.
Bacon (Back, smoked or unsmoked), Egg (fried x2, or poached, or scrambled), Sausage (don’t go cheap), Black Pudding (Yo), (White pudding if you can get), Grilled Tomato, Grilled Mushroom, beans (optional but also a must), Sauté potatoes (optional but are groovy)
Toast (preferable) or Fried Bread. Bubble & Squeek (optional). Tea or Coffee to wash it down. Automatic 30min nap after and your day is set.
I’ve had several English breakfasts while in London and I love them. It sure keeps you going for the whole day! You can also order a half breakfast.
Although I live in Finland, we can acquire all the incredients here.
Yes, the beans should be Heinz, but not because of the attractive packaging, but because they don’t contain pork, brown sugar or maple syrup as do traditional US recipes. If you can’t get imported British ‘tins’ then Heinz vegetarian beans are available in the US, also in teal.
When I left the UK (Newcastle) in 1981, nobody, and I mean nobody! ate potatoes for breakfast. Look out for the ‘spatter’ when frying the blood sausage or ‘black pudding’ , that stuff can take an eye out.
Beans Meanz Heinz – but the Branston brand is worth a try, very tasty. I have beans on granary bread toast twice a week for supper, it’s a good source of fibre and roughage for us veggies… also, tomatoes and mushrooms on toast, yummy…. Well… just about anything goes on toast, doesn’t it 😂😂
Mate, that is an awesome Full English. Well done!
Hello.
Could you please confirm which kind or type of mushroom is used for the English Breakfast? I know that they are little, round and brown but I am not sure about which kind to buy. Are they Portobello? Or Shitake? I am in Brasil and I’d like to do a similar Breakfast here.
hi, they are brown cremini mushrooms!
If you can get hold of them, we also like to use a couple of the massive sized ‘field mushrooms’, very meaty texture, instead of the button or smaller cap mushrooms
You are quite correct that you would NEVER put hash browns (American), or any other potato products on an English breakfast. I must however put you straight on something (and it should be written in law). Baked Beans have no place whatsoever as part of an English breakfast, they are a modern day edition by people who live on council estates and can’t hold their cutlery correctly. Even worse are people who think that it is acceptable to put CANNED tomatoes on the plate. Remove the beans, add a couple of perfectly grilled lambs’ kidneys and you’ve just about got the perfect hangover cure.
I agree no potatoes in a traditional full English unless it’s bubble and squeak. However a full Irish breakfast or full Scottish breakfast would contain potato. Scottish = tattie scones made from mashed potato. Irish would contain boxty made from raw grated potato or potato bread, potato cakes or some other potato. Irish and Scottish are known for their heavy use of potatoes in general hence it’s mainly the addition of potato that makes it a full Scottish breakfast or full Irish breakfast.
Now there’s someone who knows what a proper fried breakfast should contain.
Well said. Think you.
As a proud Londoner I can tell you this is a proper description of a full English. Lots of variants out there but yours is the classic.
Have A Good Day
Cherrio! Love the full English, but I’d add German potato pancakes and risk the mob. You need carbs with breakfast for energy, and your bread wont be enough. But I love the beans and tomato.
Several years ago my husband and I were lucky enough to visit Ireland. Our first B&B just outside of Dublin was so exciting for first time world travellers. Breakfast was a full with what looked like little black cookies. I guessed they were black pudding and was very pleased with the whole meal! We needed a nap after but so enjoyed the experience.
OMG I made this for brunch yesterday and we can’t believe how much food there was! I plaated almost exactly as you show in the picture. We loved it, though. My friend thought the black pudding was too rich, but I think it’s tasty. I ordered Lincolnshire sausages and black pudding from England just for this brunch. We used American bacon and pork and beans, but otherwise the same. Awesome!! Holy cow, how are the British not all 500 pounds?
Oatcakes instead of fried bread are popular in Staffordshire.
Love all the comments on Full English Breakfasts but surely a ‘Full English’ has many variations and is an individual choice?
I live in Devon, South West of England and have visitors from all parts of the UK.
Mostly the visitors want sausage, bacon (smoked or non smoked, crispy or not), mushrooms, eggs (fried, scrambled or poached and they are VERY particular about the way the eggs are poached…) tomatoes (fresh or tinned) baked beans (or none) black pudding (or none) and the majority do request Hash Browns. Fried bread or toast (or both) is again a personal choice. Also Tomato Ketchup or (usually HP brand) Brown Sauce is normally required. These days there is no such thing as a ‘standard’ Full English.
Although it is not usual for people to have this every day. Mostly when on holiday in a B&B (guesthouse) when it is usually included in the price or at home as a Sunday treat. That said there are some people who do eat this every morning…..
Glad we do not all have the same tastes otherwise Life would be very dull….
I’ve had many a full English, minus mushrooms (I’m allergic to them) and blood sausage. And delicious as it is, nothing beats a country breakfast, with fried potatoes and onions, bacon, fresh biscuits with sausage gravy, about 4 or 5 fried eggs (to heck with cholesterol!), sticky-gooey cinnamon rolls, and coffee!
Some good suggestions but have to say Branston baked beans much much better than Heinz . Hash browns disgusting never ever . Canned tomatoes best .Coarse sea salt , black coarse ground pepper and Daddies brown sauce .
I was working in a paper mill some where in Yorkshire. queing for my breakfast at the canteen , serving lass said “Would you like your toast dipped?” i said what do you mean? she explaind that some like toast dipped in the tomato juices in the bain marie so it goes soggy, I said yes and it was delicious, reccommend!
You did it proud, great selection of ingredients and execution spot on. Nothing I would add or omit there. There are many regional variations but this is the classic format that most English would recognise as traditional. Toast is perfectly acceptable in my opinion but you nailed it with the fried bread!
From a Londoner:
Toast is fine!! Beans are NOT a modern addition, they have been there since World War 1. And yes, they must be Heinz. Not on a commission, I have tried dozens – none have the correct taste/constitution.
Mushrooms: fry in butter with a dash of thyme.
Hash Browns/Bubble & Squeak: ask your guest!
Kidneys: yep! But not a necessity.
Eggs: scrambled is ok, but you miss out on the runny yolk! Your loss, not mine!
Black pudding: ask your guest! I love it, some don’t.
This is breakfast, not a religion. If you like it, eat it!!
As a Northerner, I totally agree with you, especially about the beans. The full English is a relatively modern meal. Beans have always played a part in it. Hash browns / Bubble and Squeak or fried potatoes. Got to change with the times!
PS:
Canned tomatoes are an abomination!
Want tomato juice for your toast/fried bread? Squash some of them in the pan! Lovely!!
Saw a comment about kippers.
Kippers, served with scrambled eggs is a different traditional English breakfast. Less heavy.
Lovely, but nothing to do with a fry up.
Just saying! 😁
Whilst traveling in England with a friend who was born there, we stayed overnight at a different friend or family member’s house and every one of them served us a full English, but they were all slightly different. A full English is perfect to last you through sightseeing, museums, etc. all day long.
I’d say you’re pretty much spot on! At least you have two of the main ingredients – nothing worse than finding 1 of each. I all that the half English. Still, Best to make a kind of breakwater with the sausage between the eggs and beans. Also, my grandparents would commonly fry some left over new potatoes with breakfast to go with it. Goes well with the eggs.
Anyway, well done!
My Mother was English and I was born there, (Warrington Lancashire now in Cheshire). She would never make hash browns. Instead she would cook bacon and then use the pan and dripping to cook thin slices of potatoes with diced onions and bell peppers added for taste and color. She adapted a lot of English food notions/recipes to American food availability. The Full Breakas is still my favorite. Thank You Very Kindly for your article. Best of luck in your future endeavors. Cheers.
Great help
As far as I am concerned, the Full English breakfast is the finest meal in existence! My ingredients for the perfect FE start with sausages, I like 3 on the plate, all local butcher made, a Cumberland, a Lincolnshire and a Tomato sausage (all thick sausages). Bacon is back bacon, preferably unsmoked, and must NOT be the stuff with water in it, white patches on the bacon looks so unappetising. Black pudding, (blood sausage,blotwurst) also local butcher made, Scottish BP is an excellent alternative. Eggs must be really fresh with dark yolks. Mushrooms are white or chestnut. Tomatoes fresh and fried or grilled. Baked beans, I prefer Branston, more flavour in them, but must be served in a ramekin on the side to keep all the juice off the other ingredients. Fried white bread. Definitely NOT hash browns! If you must have potatoes have some Bubble and Squeek, or my favourite sauted potatoes with onion. English Breakfast tea on the side, if you have any room left, some toast and marmalade or honey.
The greatest English contribution to the culinary arts is baked beans for breakfast. While they are superb in the Full English, they are even better as a side for Eggs Benedict.
Don’t look at me like that…at least, not until you’ve tried it.
A few thoughts
1. There are solid places for a Full English in the USA – most brit pubs do this of special mention is the Bulls head in Lititz PA (https://lititzspringsinnandspa.com/?page_id=466)
2. Getting the right Breakfast meat is critical – both Parkers and Jolly posh do a good job, but if you are in the New York area the Butchers Fancy in Yonkers has the best sausage, bacon, black and white pudding. Just to prove its also a full Irish Breakfast
3. Fried bread is wonderful, but you insist on a Toast desert… then it has to be with marmalade
Enjoy
I’ve had a huge breakfast one time at the Royal Seaman’s club in Liverpool and for years I tried to replicate it. I forgot about it but was reminded of it while watching a series called “Lewis.” It was served and was call a “Full English.” My mouth watered, and the next day I went out and found most of the stuff after checking the Internet for what was in it. I’ve had it every day, only not in huge portions as some pictures suggest. It really doesn’t take that long to make, and holds me over till supper. I could never understand why people think British food is so bland, maybe because it’s the best kept secret.
Doing a big breakfast with some different than the typical items is nice. A breakfast dinner is nice too.
I travelled in the 90s in England we did bed and breakfast every day we travelled living on an English breakfast they were the best and It kept me norished all day tell dinner time and I lost weight as well!! We were always served eggs bacon baked beans tomatoes fried potatoes cubes and buttered toast some were better than other B&Bs. I came across your blog as was craving an English breakfast but I had it for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed it 😋 not something I could eat everyday now through
Northwest UK, I do a “Full English” every Sunday morning/Brunch helps with the recovery from Saturday night booze.
I do Bacon, sausage, blackpudding & mushrooms in a large griddle pan in the oven for 20mins, after 10mins fry the bread then in the last 5mins Micro the beans, Fried the egg, toast in the toaster & kettle on for a brew.
Afterwards slump in a comfy chair & Read the Sunday papers.
Well done
Friend and I went to England years ago, a week in London then a week in a rental car around the South. We stayed at a few bed&breakfasts and the people were charming and all would ask “Continental or English breakfast?” If you said Continental they would bring you hotel lobby fare: juice, toast, cereal. And look sad. If you said English breakfast, their faces lit up and there would be a ruckus in the kitchen and the above described feast would be brought out and they would sit and chat about your trip and it was wonderful. Always ask for the fun option.
I’m 83, lived in the UK all my life, worked in the UK, except for the occasional job abroad, all my life.
As you might guess I’ve eaten many full english breakfasts in my time. Home cooked, BnB cooked, hotel cooked, greasy spoon cafe cooked. This recipe is what most english people would consider the standard full english breakfast so in that respect is perfect.
I would, however, just like to make a comment about toast or fried bread.
In my opinion you should have one slice of fried bread on the plate (halved diagonally) and a couple of slices of toasted bread on the side. Any of the toasted bread not eaten with the fry up is then eaten with some thick cut marmalade ( not that pale thin/shreaded stuff) and a strong cup of coffee.
Perfect
The recipe given is spot-on. There are regional variations (add last nights boiled potato and it becomes a ‘Norfolk breakfast’ etc). Personally, I think the beans are a recent introduction. Fried bread was used to soak-up the flavours left in the pan from the sausage and bacon, but toast is more common now.
In the British military this is served every morning (conditions allowing) and it’s perfect (no matter what people say about military cooks!) but since leaving the military I can’t eat it every day.
Hash browns are a very recent introduction (80’s) but they’re OK. I recall they were introduced by a road-side cafe chain named ‘Little-Chef’ which may have had American roots or certainly an American diner influence.
The recipe as presented is authentic and good.
I have had the real deal at the Kensington Hilton and the bacon is to die for!!!! Any suggestions on where to order it from in the US? I did not do the black pudding. Bangers are OK. Loved the fish & chips w mushy peas!
Your full english is spot on all the items are what would be in a standard full english ..with the addition of fried bread .this is a slice of white bread fried in the pan .in the oil from the sausages and bacon..i prefer to cook it in the egg pan before i cook the eggs in a little veg oil..that way its not so heavy…also i add toast and butter and jam and or marmalde.for after if you have amy room..and fresh orange juice..this is the standard full english breakfast .it was made standard by the edwardians in early 1900s and was served in all hotels and guest house .and trains so the gentry could enjoy it where ever they went..most regions in the uk have there own variations but they are not the true full english breakfasts…your full english is a true full english.with the addition of fried bread and toast and jam and marmalde .orange juice and of course english tea or coffee amd ness paper….so well done and enjoy
We love “fried bread” in the U.S., too, but for whatever reason, it’s called Texas toast! (Even in Nebraska…)
Hi I think personally you have to try all the breakfast ingredients for yourself and decide if you want it on the plate the next time you make it like for myself I don’t do tomato’s or fried bread or bubble and squeak I stick with the rest of the ingredients though I do love black pudding/blood sausage but again it’s up to you as it’s you who is eating it when it’s made it’s the same for haggis not everyone likes this food but personally I do so mix it up and try it out for yourself oh and before I forget the only potato I have is the triangle hash browns yummy
Here’s a great way to do beans.
In a non stick pan, add a four of five rashers of streaky bacon, chopped small, fry with a little black and a little white pepper on a medium heat.
Once the bacon has caramelised and crisped up to how you like, turn down the heat a little further, add the tin of baked beans (careful, it’ll spit up a little so keep a little distance) and stir, keep stirring until the sauce thickens up a bit, then serve.
Best beans ever.
I have one once a week, but one thing I would suggest trying is seeded bread or wholemeal slightly toasted if fresh then frying it , and here’s a tip when you go to the supermarket and you see “ cooking bacon” and hey it’s really cheap , look for the packs that look like slices and not bits and pieces , and you will get some lovely thick and I mean thick bacon slices in there, and fry them slowly , absolute heaven and no need to spend 3 times as much, my last packet 90p lasted for 2 breakfasts, a banjo ( egg and bacon ) for those not familiar with the phrase, and enough to make a bacon roll poly , yes all for a packet of vacuum packed cooking bacon
The mug in the photo is beautiful and I would love to own it, is there any chance you could point me and my money in the right direction, please?
thank you so much! i actually made it at one of those make a mug pottery places :) i love his little eyes lol