How to Cook the Best British Breakfast

For the Eggs:

• Always start with extremely fresh free range eggs
• To fry, use a non-stick pan with a good 3 to 4 mm of light olive oil in and a knob of cold butter. When the butter is just melting add the egg and leave so the white sets. Let the heat increase until the butter foams a little before carefully removing the egg from oil. Pat with kitchen paper, and season with sea salt flakes and a little cracked pepper.
• For boiled eggs simply bring a pan of water to the boil, adding a little vinegar, 1 or 2 tablespoons, before gently immersing the eggs carefully so as not to crack on the base of the pan. Boil for 6 minutes for a runny yolk, or 8 minutes for a firmer texture, (what we call butter texture in the trade).
• Scrambled eggs go really well with a full English and are also easy to control when cooking for a few. I tend to whisk my eggs, 2 per person with a little salt, then in a heavy bottomed pan bring about 100ml of full fat milk and 25g butter for 4 eggs to the simmer, pouring in the beaten egg and gently stirring on a medium heat until just set. Remove quickly and the egg will set at 84oc and serve immediately.
• Poached eggs are maybe the most tricky but following simple rules never fails to serve up a treat. Take very fresh eggs at room temperature, before bringing a deep saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water, adding a little vinegar (2 or 3 tablespoons). Never salt at this stage and crack your egg into a ramekin or shallow cup. Gently tip the egg into the pan towards the side away from you and repeat with as many eggs as needed but never let the boiling water stop simmering. When just set after 2 or 3 minutes remove with a slotted spoon. Pat the excess moisture off, season with salt flakes, and enjoy.

For the Sausages:

• For the sausages, simply roll in a medium to hot frying pan on a regular basis till rich and golden in colour, then leave to rest in a warm place for a few moments. This helps the sausage meat develop its flavour and texture .

For Black Pudding:

• The black pudding is best split down the centre and grilled with a knob of butter alongside the mushrooms and tomatoes. Season with olive oil, a little salt and pepper, and cook until hot and melting .

For Hash Browns:

• My version of hash browns are not so traditional but make for a really great breakfast accompaniment, especially when having a late breakfast instead of lunch. I first peel, wash and then steam the old crop potato for 8 minutes before grating on a coarse cheese grater. Mix with a little diced onion, salt and pepper and gently fry in a little duck or goose fat in a non stick frying pan until golden. Press the edges down with a palette knife and carefully flip over and carry on cooking until crisp and brown. Pat off any excess oil off and serve.

For the Bacon:

• When using top quality air dried bacon simply place in a hot frying pan, and turn when golden brown.

To Serve:

• To assemble what can be a challenging combination of cooking techniques always have the table laid with cutlery, a big pot of tea ready and your favourite ketchup and brown sauce ready, and remember to warm your serving plates .

Enjoy, it's what made Britain great!