Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
The full English: sausages, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes, black pudding, fried bread and eggs, each cooked just right and served together. The classic fry-up.
A proper full English is all about getting everything to land hot at the same time: sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and black pudding, all from one cook. The whole trick is the order you do things in, and this method takes you through it stage by stage. It is the ideal weekend treat and a reliable fix for a sluggish morning.
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Prep 10 min
Cook 25 min
Total 35 min
Medium
Scale:
- 2 Sausages
- 3 Bacon
- 2 Mushrooms
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 Slice Black Pudding
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Slice Bread
Tags:
Breakfast
Preparation
- Heat a flat grill plate over low heat (over two rings if it fits) and brush sparingly with light olive oil.
- Cook the sausages first: add them to the hot plate (the coolest part if there is one) and cook slowly for 15 to 20 minutes, turning now and then, until golden. After the first 10 minutes, raise the heat to medium before starting the other ingredients, or cook the sausages fully and keep them hot in the oven if space is tight.
- Snip a few cuts into the fatty edge of the bacon, then fry on the plate for 2 to 4 minutes each side to your preferred crispiness, keeping it warm in the oven if needed.
- For the mushrooms, brush off any dirt and trim the stalks level. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil, then cook stalk-side up for 1 to 2 minutes before turning and cooking for a further 3 to 4 minutes, leaving them mostly alone so they don't go soggy.
- For the tomatoes, halve them, remove the green eye, season and drizzle with oil. Cook cut-side down without moving for 2 minutes, then turn, season again and cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes until tender but still holding their shape.
- For the black pudding, cut into 3 or 4 slices, remove the skin and cook on the plate for 1 and a half to 2 minutes each side until slightly crispy.
- For proper fried bread, use bread a couple of days old. Heat a frying pan to medium, cover the base with oil and fry the bread for 2 to 3 minutes each side until crisp and golden, adding more oil if it dries out and a knob of butter after turning for richer flavour.
- For the eggs, crack straight into the pan with the fried bread, leave for 30 seconds, add a knob of butter and baste the egg as it melts. Cook to your liking, season and lift out gently with a fish slice.
- Serve everything on warm plates straight away, with ketchup or brown sauce.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Start the sausages first, as they take the longest. Give them a 10-minute head start before anything else goes on.
- Use day-old bread for the fried bread. Fresh bread drinks up the oil and turns greasy.
- Keep cooked items warm in a low oven while you finish off the rest, so nothing sits going cold.
- Baste the eggs with hot butter rather than flipping them, for soft yolks and crisp lacy edges.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cook in order of how long each thing takes: sausages first, then bacon and black pudding, then mushrooms and tomatoes, with eggs and fried bread last. Hold finished items in a warm oven.
Grill or bake the sausages and bacon rather than frying, swap fried bread for toast, and grill the tomatoes and mushrooms with just a light brush of oil.
Leave it out, or add baked beans, hash browns or bubble and squeak. All are common on a full English.
Shifting them around the pan makes them release water and steam. Leave them be so they colour, and don't crowd the pan.
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