There are times when I have lots of bits and pieces of food left in the fridge that need to use up and I made this recipe for just such an occasion. It is almost like a breakfast in one pan as it contains all the thinks I like for a good old English Breakfast but it is all cooked together. We had it for lunch one day but I am sure it would make a great brunch or breakfast dish.
Did you know there is actually an English Breakfast Society? This is what they have to say about the history of the English Breakfast.
The full English breakfast is a centuries old British tradition which dates back to the early 1800’s, when the Victorians first perfected the art of eating breakfast and elevated the most important meal of the day into an art form.
When the Victorians combined tradition with the most important meal of the day, they created a national dish, one that is widely loved to this day and regularly enjoyed by millions of English breakfast lovers all over the planet.
The breakfast table was an opportunity to display the wealth of the estate and the quality of the meats, vegetables and ingredients produced on the surrounding land and a chance to show off the skills of the cooks who prepared a vast selection of typical English breakfast dishes every morning, for the residents and guests of the house.
The gentry used to love their breakfast feasts and in the old Anglo-Saxon tradition of hospitality, used to provide hearty full breakfasts for their visiting friends, relatives and neighbors. The gentry used to enjoy a full breakfast before they went out to hunt, before a long journey, the morning after their parties and when reading the mail and periodicals of the day.
Breakfast served in these country houses was made up of ingredients sourced from farmers based on the estate, the meats were cured and cooked using regional recipes and methods. Their breakfasts were made up of traditional English dishes, cooked in a typical English way and it was here that the idea of the traditional English breakfast began.
This recipe may not fit in with their ideals but it is definitely delicious.
Sausage hash with fried egg Serves 2
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 8 new potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 2 good quality sausages of your choice
- 3 rashes of unsmoked streaky bacon
- 1/2 green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
- 1/2 red pepper, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- small handful of parsley, chopped
- salt and black pepper
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and gently fry the potato for 10 minutes until it is starting to soften and go golden.
- Skin the sausages and break up the meat into small nuggets. Add to the potato.
- Using scissors, snip the bacon into thin slices and add to the pan along with the onion, chilli and pepper.
- Stir to combine them all and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender and the sausage cooked through.
- Add the parsley and season to taste. Mix carefully.
- In a separate pan fry two eggs.
- Serve the hash immediately, divided between two plates with an egg on top of each.
Tasty Advice 