"There is an old motto that says “Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper”, meaning it is smart to start the day with a full breakfast in your belly to give you sustenance throughout the day. This motto undoubtedly can be applied to the traditional full Irish Breakfast.
It is a meal that was traditionally assembled to prepare one for a full day of work on the farm on a cold winter morning.
And while opinion may be divided on what is in an Irish breakfast, basically, main ingredients remain the same; bacon, sausages, beans, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and potato. They are fried in a little knob of Irish butter and served with a side of soda or brown bread. And the only rule regarding the full breakfast, besides it’s traditional components, is that it must be finished.
A Full Irish is like a good book - if you don't see it through to the end, what was the point in starting in the first place?"
Irish Breakfast
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Details
Prep time 15mins
Cook time 1hr 30mins
Serves or Makes: 1
Recipe
For the Baked Beans
- 2 15 ounce cans baked beans
- 1/ 4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/ 4 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 slices crispy bacon, chopped
For the Potatoes
- 1 potato, of your choice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Tomatoes
- 1 beefsteak tomato
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Plate
- 2 slices bacon
- 1 sausage
- 1/ 2 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 slice brown bread or soda bread
To Make the Baked Beans
Method
Step 1
Make the baked beans: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Combine all ingredients in a 9-inch baking dish. Bake for 1 hour.
Step 2
Make the tomatoes: Raise the oven to 425ºF. Slice the tomato into 1/4-inch thick slices. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until softened and browned in spots, about 25 minutes.
Step 3
Make the potatoes: Cut the potato into medium cubes. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, then spread in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Step 4
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter int a cast-iron skillet on medium heat. Fry the bacon and sausage until crispy, about 3 minutes each side. Transfer to a plate. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Transfer to the plate, then fry the eggs in the skillet, cooking for about 3-4 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks still runny. Add more butter to the skillet as needed.
Step 5
Once everything is cooked, arrange it all on the plate with the bacon and mushrooms. Serve with a slice of bread.