How to make the perfect full English breakfast

According to new research, the popularity of the full English breakfast is on the rise. Here we ask the Wolseley’s Head Chef how to construct the best British fry-up

Put on your aprons and whip out your frying pans; the Great British fry-up is enjoying a renaissance in kitchens across the UK. So far this year, we’ve eaten 10% more fried breakfasts than last year, and sales in eggs and bacon have increased by 14%.

Some experts think that we Brits have returned to a fry-up because we are adhering to diets that promote protein; others because our working population is trying to go for longer without eating during the day.

Whatever the reason, we at The Telegraph think, in the immortal words of Wham!, that “if you’re gonna do it, do it right” – which is why we’ve asked Lawrence Keogh, Head Chef of The Wolseley – the place for power breakfasts in London – to reveal what makes the perfect full English breakfast...

Eggs

“I like scrambled eggs myself, whisked in a bowl and added to a pan with lots of butter.

“If you do have fried eggs, you can reduce the amount of fat on them by sliding the eggs onto a piece of kitchen paper before putting them onto the plate. You can also make your scrambled eggs in the microwave if you like, so that you don’t have to add any butter to the recipe. Remember to keep smashing them.

“If you are frying eggs to feed several people, try frying the eggs and leaving them a little bit snotty so the yokes are still runny. When everything else is cooked, lift the items onto the plate and put the whole thing under the grill. That way, everyone gets a fresh hot breakfast.

“Another great trick if you’re busy entertaining is to do poached eggs the night before. Fill a pan with water, put in a couple of tablespoons of white wine vinegar and crack your eggs into a small tea cup of saucer. Once the water is simmering and beginning to pop on the surface, slide the egg in and the vinegar sets the egg white around the yoke. Get a bowl of ice water at the ready, and then after about two/ two-and-a-half minutes, the eggs will be cooked. Lift the poached egg out with a slotted spoon and put it into the ice water. It will stop cooking immediately.

“Put a fresh, clean napkin onto a small plate and leave the eggs on the napkin in the fridge until the next day. The next morning, whilst cooking the bacon, have a pan of gently simmering water for you to drop the eggs into and just heat through before serving on a hot plate. Always have a hot plate with breakfast.”

Sausages

“I use good quality sausages. My favourites are made by Powters - they’re proper bangers. When I worked at the Goring Hotel in London, we used to use Lincolnshire sausages for breakfast which have a lovely flavour.”

Bacon

“I like to have grilled smoked streaky bacon with my breakfast. I normally put it on a tray in a hot oven to cook.”

Tomatoes

“At home at the weekend I like to have my English breakfast with tinned tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce, like a Bloody Mary. You can use a good splash of tabasco sauce too if you want to have it spicy. Put it on some wholemeal toast, but don’t put butter on the toast as that will keep it nice and crunchy. In the past I’ve also sweated some chopped onions and put them in.”

Mushrooms

“I like to have portobello mushrooms. Take the stalk out and put them on a baking sheet the other way up to the way they grow with crunchy salt and pepper. You can also use button mushrooms. When they’re nearly cooked put on Worcestershire sauce and the mushrooms get a nice varnish around them.”

Lawrence Keogh is the Head Chef at The Wolseley, London