The Perfect Breakfast

[iL Dottore]

Confined to barracks as we are, it is only natural, if not fitting, that our thoughts turn to food. Many claim, and I would agree with them, that breakfast is the most important meal of the day (although perhaps not the fanciest, the most esoteric or indulgent of our daily meals).

 

A proper British cooked breakfast is one of the culinary wonders of the world. And, to open a healthy debate on this important topic, I propose the following:

 

A proper cooked breakfast should not include baked beans (the Devil’s Frogspawn) or hash browns (a tattie scone or similar is more than acceptable). Sausages, black pudding and bacon are all necessary ingredients and should be served in multiples. White pudding, haggis and similar are most welcome. Bacon can be of the cut of your preference, getting it nice and crispy is very much a bonus. Eggs should be plentiful and can either be scrambled or fried. The only vegetable representative that should appear on the plate are grilled mushrooms, preferably the large cap field mushrooms (tomatoes are for those who want to appear virtuous at breakfast). Finally, although replaced by its upstart cousin ”a slice of toast”, a proper cooked breakfast should always, but always, include a “fried slice”, preferably cooked in bacon fat.

 

So, dear fellow Wheeltappers, may I ask: as of a morning do you indulge in a (for sake of argument) a “proper” breakfast? Undergo a quick refuelling on cereal, toast and the like? or are spectacularly virtuous with muesli, yoghurt and the like?

 

Curious minds would like to know!

[Gwiwer]

As a great celebrator of breakfast myself I have to admit the exigencies of shift-work for many years has required a trade-off between even-earlier alarm calls or a more modest easily-prepared breakfast.  

 

Thus on a working day it is normally 45 minutes from alarm to departure including Weetabix (occasionally Fruit & Fibre or a "crunchy grain" style alternative), toast with butter and marmalade and a mug of tea.  

 

Days off however will normally see the frying pans (plural) deployed for eggs - fried more gently than other items hence the multiple pans, bacon, sausage, tomato and (if handy) some fried "real" potato but not a hash brown.  I don't object to black pudding but don't keep it at home; if I can get hog's (white) pudding then that also goes in the pan.  When SWMBO isn't looking I'll fry the bread but if she is watching I end up with toast as an alternative to a lecture on healthy eating!  

 

Baked beans - an option but not every time.  Mushrooms - no thanks.  And as for the Australian habit of dolloping a mound of steaming spinach on a "Full English" breakfast the rule is "No green food before midday"   

 

Mug of tea every time though, no matter what is on the plate.  

 

[great central]

This is as good as it gets for me. 

Cafe on Great Yarmouth seafront, £4.50 all in. Part of my regular exercise, well I think I can justify it having walked over 4 miles, then another 5 or so afterwards as like as not.

Pictures taken at different times but you get the drift. 

Can't go at the moment cos the caravan site's shut

 

[jonny777]

I'm sure that you knew this was coming...

 

3x65g sausages = 400 calories

3x34g bacon rashers = 300 calories

2x50g slices bl. pudding = 300 calories

2x75g eggs = 300 calories

1x slice of fried bread = 500 calories

1x fried mushroom = 100 calories

 

Sorry to be a bit of a wet blanket, but that fried breakfast alone would give you 1900 calories; perfect from an energy point of view if you intend to consume nothing else all day. A nutritionists nightmare, though; but fortunately I'm not even going to go there. 

 

I'm afraid that I have been there and done that, and wear 2XL clothing to prove it.

 

[teaky]

7 minutes ago, jonny777 said:

I'm sure that you knew this was coming...

 

3x65g sausages = 400 calories

3x34g bacon rashers = 300 calories

2x50g slices bl. pudding = 300 calories

2x75g eggs = 300 calories

1x slice of fried bread = 500 calories

1x fried mushroom = 100 calories

 

Sorry to be a bit of a wet blanket, but that fried breakfast alone would give you 1900 calories; perfect from an energy point of view if you intend to consume nothing else all day. A nutritionists nightmare, though; but fortunately I'm not even going to go there. 

 

I'm afraid that I have been there and done that, and wear 2XL clothing to prove it.

 

The NHS say 2500 calories a day for men so there's room for another slice of fried bread and some virtuous tomatoes. 

[Blackthorn]

Oh boy, I am so Jonesing a full cooked breakfast right now, but unfortunately I rarely have the time to cook one.

 

My Grandmother had the secret for doing the best fried bread that I've never been able to replicate. She would also sometimes do Faggots with breakfast and I always thought that was a real treat.  I remember she would get them from a butcher in Bristol and my god they were good.

 

Now, most mornings I have cereal called Holy Crap..I kid you not...I have to get the M.I.L. to mail it from Campbell River on Vancouver Island as its hard to find in this part of the colonies.... 

[teaky]

To answer the question in the OP...

 

Most days, breakfast is greek-style yoghurt, fruit and black coffee.  Sometimes it might be muesli or granola, or porridge, or toast and jam, or scrambled eggs on toast, but not very often.

 

A full English breakfast or similar is indulged probably less than once per quarter and I'd say that I enjoy it all the more because of that and also because it is easier to justify better quality ingredients.  Slightly more frequently would be an assortment of fruit, cured meats, cheese, bread, pastries etc., often referred to in hotels as a 'Continental Breakfast'.

Edited May 1, 2020 by teaky

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

I now restrict my classic UK cooked breakfast to grilled smoked back bacon, scrambled egg, grilled mushrooms, very well done toast and strong black tea.

Many acceptable and equally wonderful variations as alternatives, some favourites:

Substitute any grilled smoked fish for the bacon and mushrooms.

Substitute grilled steak, soft poached eggs and fried onion rings for the bacon, scrambled and mushrooms.

Substitute grilled lamb chops for the bacon and mushrooms, with a ton of garlic in the scrambled.

 

Of course I am equally happy to range across:

Pancakes with smoked salami and appelstroop

Fried rice with prawn or chicken, onion, peppers and chilli

Waffles, bacon, sausage and maple syrup

Oat or Mealie porridge with a high molasses content cane sugar

Some sort of spicy plantain and papaya stew I had in Southern India which was quite fabulous.

 

 

[jjb1970]

Bacon, sausage, black pudding, scrambled eggs and mushrooms, never ever with beans!! I can tolerate hash browns though. 

[Tim V]

Heart attack on a plate. In moderation please!

[PaulRhB]

All commendable menus, although fried bread should be on the cusp of shattering like glass . . .

 

Oh and you’ve missed out the pudding course, capably demonstrated with class by the Buffet at Ravenglass after breakfast, note the clock, one mustn’t rush breakfast. 

[Rivercider]

On work days my early start means I keep it simple, a banana, and glass of juice, while the kettle goes on for a cup of tea, then a bowl porridge with a handful of dried fruit.

A proper fry up is a treat when we are away on holiday. Being on a gf diet this means bacon, egg (usually scrambled), sausage (if gf), mushrooms, tomato, (edit - must not forget baked beans), and saute potatoes are a bonus, and toast. If it is a 3 or 4 night stay then smoked haddock, or kippers, will make an acceptable change one morning.

Edit - this was enjoyed at Greengages in Salisbury a few years ago.

 

One of my more memorable breakfasts was on one of the rare railway excursions I travelled on. It was a weekender travelling around Scotland, and after about 36 hours it was magic, even though it was swimming in juice from the tinned tomatoes.

 

cheers (this is making me feel hungry!)

Edited May 1, 2020 by Rivercider
Additional info

[jjb1970]

One thing BR did really well was the cooked breakfast on inner-city services.  It wasn't cheap but it was superb and something I still miss.

[Nearholmer]

The Full English? maybe a couple of times a year. Its one of those things that lovely as you eat it, but actually doesn't work brilliantly well as food for a morning.

 

Otherwise: usually coffee and either brown toast or porridge; waffles on a Sunday for a treat; scrambled eggs on brown toast if I'm planning a decent bike ride, and for both son and I when I take him to play a footy match on a cold winter morning.

[Nearholmer]

2 minutes ago, jjb1970 said:

breakfast on inner-city services

 

Whenever I've travelled on the Northern Line I've found that the breakfast service has been noticeably poor. Possibly the waiter has been unable reach me through the crowd to take my order.

[Dava]

Vegetarians like cooked breakfasts too.

 

Linda McCartney sausages, veggie bacon, sauté potatoes, egg, beans, tomato, mushrooms.

Goes down well.

 

So do kippers with poached egg or scrambled eggs & smoked salmon on toast.

 

North Staffs oatcakes with cheese & spring onions & tomato filling.

 

Dava 

[Joseph_Pestell]

9 minutes ago, Dava said:

Vegetarians like cooked breakfasts too.

 

Linda McCartney sausages, veggie bacon, sauté potatoes, egg, beans, tomato, mushrooms.

Goes down well.

 

So do kippers with poached egg or scrambled eggs & smoked salmon on toast.

 

North Staffs oatcakes with cheese & spring onions & tomato filling.

 

Dava 

Vegetarian kippers? Vegetarian smoked salmon?

[Ozexpatriate]

6 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Vegetarian kippers? Vegetarian smoked salmon?

I'm with you there. "Ovo-pescatarian" is not really vegetarian.

 

I prefer the Hindu definition for vegetarian - meaning dairy is OK, but not eggs or fish.

[Ozexpatriate]

May I offer my parent's standard breakfast.

 

Diced tropical fruits (along with oranges and apples), toasted muesli and yoghurt. Followed by toast (made with yesterday's fresh bread) with a liberal covering of butter and Vegemite, all washed down with pineapple/mango/orange juice. This is followed by a mug of tea.

 

It's quite delightful.

[Ozexpatriate]

1 hour ago, PaulRhB said:

Oh and you’ve missed out the pudding course

"Second breakfast" in the Shire.

[Clearwater]

Love the occasional cooked English. As an alternative, Eggs Benedict rarely fails to hit the spot!

[Dava]

56 minutes ago, Joseph_Pestell said:

Vegetarian kippers? Vegetarian smoked salmon?

 

Pescatarian. You lot eat more meat than is good for you. Remember how all this started. 

[great central]

16 minutes ago, Dava said:

 

Pescatarian. You lot eat more meat than is good for you. Remember how all this started. 

 

True perhaps but I don't think you can really equate the current situation with what and how we eat it in this country!

[spikey]

2 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

...  the pudding course, capably demonstrated with class by the Buffet at Ravenglass after breakfast ...

 

If that's what passes for a slice of lemon meringue pie, why is it served in a dog bowl?

 

Whatever, the last time I had a "Full English" was during flying training many moons ago.  It was found to be particularly suitable when consumed immediately prior to an early take-off and aerobatics.  Nowadays it's always a large bowl of porridge made with jumbo oats, water and salt, followed by a pint of cold water and a large mug of black coffee.

Edited May 1, 2020 by spikey

[nick_bastable]

fond memories of a Bacon Sannie ex Victoria to Hastings on a 4 BIG delivered to your perch in the buffet car

 

Nick B