The Proper Full Irish Breakfast
Bricfeasta Gaelach·(brik-fasta gway-loch)
The Proper Start: Morning Frys and Daily Oats
A twelve-inch cast-iron skillet sits on the front burner, rendering thick-cut supermarket bacon while a can of Heinz beans simmers on the back. A traditional Irish breakfast is a masterclass in the utilization of pork fat, relying on the moment the bacon fat hisses to spark the chain of flavor passed from the sausage, to the bacon, to the mushrooms, and finally into the eggs. Fry the bread in the leftover drippings, and drop the eggs in last.
Ingredients
- mild pork breakfast sausages4 large
- Canadian bacon slices4 large
- button mushrooms1 cup
- plum tomato1 large
- Heinz Baked Beans in tomato sauce14 oz
- Irish grass-fed butter2 tbsp
- eggs2 large
- brown bread slices2 large
- salt1/4 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
Method
- 01
Roast the meats.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, lay out the sausages and Canadian bacon, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping halfway. The bacon should be cooked but still pleasantly chewy, not shattered or brittle.
- 02
Warm the beans.
Place the baked beans in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir them occasionally until piping hot, but never let them boil or they will turn to mush.
- 03
Caramelize the vegetables.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and melt one tablespoon of the butter. Place the tomato halves cut-side down and toss the quartered mushrooms onto the other side of the pan. Let the tomatoes caramelize undisturbed for about 3 minutes, and sauté the mushrooms until deeply browned, then remove both to a warm plate and season with salt and pepper.
- 04
Fry the eggs in the residual fat.
Wipe the skillet briefly with a paper towel to remove any burnt bits, but leave the residual fat. Lower the heat to medium-low, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter, and crack the eggs gently into the pan. Cook slowly for 3 minutes, basting the whites with the foaming butter until set. The yolks must remain bright and runny—this is the sauce for the entire meal.
- 05
Assemble and serve.
Generously butter the toasted brown bread. Arrange the plate methodically: meats on one side, vegetables on the other, a scoop of beans, and the fried eggs dead center. Serve immediately alongside a strong mug of black tea.
Notes
Sourcing the right beans is non-negotiable.
Do not substitute American BBQ-style baked beans. The heavy molasses and smoke profile will completely overpower the plate. Look for Heinz Baked Beans in the international aisle of the supermarket; they offer the required sharp, sweet tomato acidity that cuts through the heavy fats of the meat.
A word on black and white pudding.
If you have access to a specialty butcher or Irish importer, add four slices of traditional black or white pudding to the sheet pan with the meats. While deeply authentic, it is divisive even in Ireland and omitting it will not ruin the integrity of the fry-up.
From Cook Irish-American Food.