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| The Great British Breakfast |
The Great British Breakfast
The perfect Great British Breakfast is hard to define, but one certainly knows when one has partaken of such. It is a meal of many courses and great delicacies; succulent sausages, crisp bacon, tender mushrooms, rich black puddings and exquisite eggs combining to sate the most demanding of tastes and fortify the body for the day's labours. One need not of course partake of all courses, and there may be times when circumstance does not permit one to relax and enjoy this finest of meals to its full extent - there are peoples and parts of the world who do not appreciate such civilities. However, a spread such as that outlined below would provide a reasonable attempt at this most noble of meals.
Tea
A good, strong, fortifying tea is the best accompaniment to breakfast, the more robust Indian and Ceylonese leaves providing a fitting infusion to prepare the palate for the glory which is to follow.
Coffee
We are aware that, particularly amongst our Colonial cousins, coffee is a popular breakfast beverage. We see no great harm in indulging this particular habit, provided that the coffee is fresh and poured from a silver pot. We are given to understand that Kenyan beans might be best suited for those so minded to partake.
Porridge
Porridge, or porrage if you prefer, is yet another of those fine exports for which we have much reason to thank the Scots. Made from oatmeal and either milk or water according to taste, seasoned with a sprinkling of salt and spoonful of treacle if one dares, a warming bowl of porridge does much to line the stomach in preparation for the main course. True connoisseurs will travel many a mile to any establishment wherein porridge is prepared from pure spring water in the traditional manner, mixed in a wooden bowl and served with a nip of whisky 'tae guard agin the coolde'.
Scrambled Eggs
A dozen eggs, broken into a bowl and scrambled with a little milk and an ounce or two of fresh butter, seasoned with a little pepper and, on a particularly chill morning, a dash of brandy, will provide an excellent serving of scrambled eggs.
Boiled Eggs
For those who prefer, eggs may be served boiled. The egg should be presented intact at the table with several slices of bread from which soldiers may be cut. Etiquette for decapitation of the egg varies from place to place. In the Home Counties it is generally considered preferable to slice the upper portion from the shell with a silver knife whilst in the north one should not be hesitant to crush the shell between one's thumb and the side of a spoon.
Devilled Kidney
Most often found with steak in a good suet pudding, a devilled kidney or two, particularly in a Madeira based sauce, makes an excellent dish with which to fend off the pangs of hunger whilst one awaits the arrival of the kippers.
Kippers
Opinion is fiercely divided as to the origin of the finest kippers and the exact nature of their smoking. Manx kippers are deemed by many to have a slight edge over others, though oak-cured Whitby bloaters, Cornish smokies and Orkney reds are close contenders. They may be served in a variety of manners but are perhaps best appreciated jugged or simply with a slice or two of thin bread and a little butter.
The Full English
Having reached this stage, one is now properly prepared for 'the full English'. Long before it is presented, one should have been able to savour the delicate aromas of crisp bacon and black pudding and been regaled by the sounds of sizzling sausage and eggs. At last, the plate is placed before one and the day may truly be said to have begun. The full English ought comprise:
- Several rashers of good crisp bacon
- Two or three evenly browned sausages, crisp on the outside yet still tender within
- A goodly spoonful of tender field mushrooms, lightly fried in butter
- One or more fried eggs, the yolk still runny, and served sunny side up
- Tomatoes, preferably freshly grilled though in times of need stewed will suffice
- A portion of baked beans in tomato sauce
- Several slices of black pudding, fried according to taste, in butter or lard
Potato waffles or 'hash browns' may be added if one is so inclined. These are believed to be of colonial origin but bear sufficient relation to Scottish 'tatty cake' to merit a place upon the breakfast platter. It is quite within order to add several slices of toast, dry or buttered, to the platter. Seasonings are largely a matter of personal choice and vary widely throughout the land, most good establishments will provide a selection of such essentials as Coleman's English mustard, Henderson's Relish, Lea and Perrin's Worcester sauce, Cunningham's Piccalilli and a choice of peppers. Ketchup and "Brown sauce", this latter a great glutinous concoction of molasses, vinegar and oriental spices, are served everywhere.
Toast and Marmalade
More tea and an endless supply of fresh toast, brown or white, served in a silver rack and eaten with butter and marmalade, is the traditionally accepted means of completing the great British Breakfast and ensuring that one manages to survive intact until it is time for elevenses.
Created on 01/16/2006 11:10 AM by Ben
Updated on 01/17/2006 12:22 AM by admin
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