How to Make a Full English Breakfast Healthier

It is probably fair to say that the vast majority of people - even English people - who know of a full English breakfast will believe that a full English breakfast and a traditional English breakfast are one and the same thing. Actually, they are not: they are totally and utterly different! A full English breakfast is what we are concerned with on this site but contrary to popular opinion, this is in no way a traditional English breakfast. It is actually a twentieth century creation.

Click on the link below for some startling facts about the full English breakfast, the traditional English breakfast and the quite contrasting differences between same...

The Origins of The Full English Breakfast

With almost any recipe, the first step to making it more healthy is in looking at the basic ingredients we choose to incoporate in it. A full English breakfast is no exception to this rule. We have to consider very carefully the component parts we are to include in the breakfast and thereafter the quality of those parts in terms of nutrition and health. This applies to all the items but most particularly to the meat products.

The ingredients of a full English breakfast of course vary somewhat depending upon individual interpretation but the following are what I have used in this instance to feed one person.

Ingredients

2 quality pork links, high in organic meat content
2 bacon medallions (less fat)
1 free range, organic egg
1 large potato
1/2 small onion
1 organic tomato
Pinch of dried sage
Reduced sodium salt and freshly gound black pepper

There is a common misconception that bangers should be pricked with a fork prior to frying them in the pan. This is absolutely not the case as all that will happen in this instance is that the delicious sausage juices will escpae in to the pan and the final taste will be severely impaired. The cause of sausages bursting in the pan is simply that they are cooked on too high a heat. They should therefore be put in to a little oil on the lowest possible heat and gently fried for around a total of half an hour until cooked.

Although hash browns originated in the United States, they are now a fairly common inclusion in a full English breakfast in place of fried bread or more simply fried potatoes. They are prepared by peeling and coarsely grating the potato and very finely chopping or slicing the onion. It is imperative, however, that when the potato has been grated, it be squeezed over the sink in a clean tea towel or cloth to remove the excess water. Anyone performing this task for the first time may be surprised by how much water actually comes out of the potato. The potato and onion should then be added to a small bowl and seasoned with salt and pepper. The inclusion of a pinch of dried sage is optional.

A little oil should then be added to a second frying pan and brought up to a medium heat while the hash brown ingredients are carefully stirred. A large spoon should then be used to divide the mixture in to two hash browns and add them to the pan, patting them down to a thickness of around half an inch. They should be fried on a medium heat for five to seven minutes each side.

The tomato should be added to the pan with the sausages once the hash browns have been added to the second pan. It should simply be halved across the way and placed in the frying pan, open side down, as shown in the picture to the right.

After a further few minutes, the bacon medallions should be added to fry for a couple of minutes each side.

There are a great many tips to be had regarding frying the perfect egg. This may seem strange when, on the face of it, it is such a simple procedure. The fact is, however, that there are several factors which can go drastically wrong when frying an egg and it is imperative that we are aware of them.

Click here for some invaluable egg frying advice before going any further - you will be glad that you did! (Will open in new window.)

The egg will fry far better in the pan with the hash browns than it will in the excess grease of the sausage and bacon pan. When you have carefully read the tips referred to above and the bacon has been put in to the first pan, it is time to break the egg in to a small bowl and gently place it in to the pan beside the hash browns. It should take three or four minutes to cook, sunny side up.

We have now reached the best stage of all in how to make a healthier English breakfast - the part where we plate it up and eat it! This is done simply by using a spatula to remove the ingredients one by one from the frying pans and arrange them on a plate as shown. A mug of steaming hot tea or coffee is of course recommended as an accompaniment.

Although it does to a certain extent reduce the overall healthier qualities of our full English breakfast, HP Sauce is very much a British institution and delicious as our final garnish.