What is a Full English Breakfast? (sometimes referred to as a ‘Fry Up’)
I have thought a lot about this for years and have decided that there are a minimum of 4 items that are essential:
Sausage – fried, baked or grilled
Bacon – fried or grilled
Egg – fried, poached, or scrambled
Bread – generally toasted, but could be fried, or simple bread and butter.
Over and above the items that I consider mandatory, there are other options that can enhance the breakfast:
Tomatoes – tinned or fresh
Beans – these should always be served separately – no one wants beans contaminating the rest of their breakfast, (yes it’s a personal thing to me)
‘Bubble and Squeak’ – fried
Mushrooms – sautéed, ideally with butter – never boiled!
Black Pudding – fried or grilled
Hash browns – fried or baked
Kidneys – generally devilled
Potato cakes – fried or grilled, (often substituted for the bread)
Oat cakes – fried or grilled, (often substituted for the bread)
White pudding – fried or grilled
Adding Haggis makes is a Full Scottish Breakfast – something I wholly recommend!
It doesn’t go by the rule that the more items the better the Full English, however the general rule of thumb is the mandatory 4 items are complimented with an additional 2 items from the optional list. Most commonly, tomatoes and mushrooms are added.
