A Full Irish Breakfast

If you are headed out for a day of St. Patrick’s Day inspired revelry you will need some serious fortification. Also, the morning after St. Patrick’s Day millions of people around the world are not feeling as sharp as they would hope for a typical weekday morning. Perhaps a big breakfast and a strong cup of tea will be just what the doctor ordered. Even if your doctor objects it’s still a satisfying ritual.

The Full Irish Breakfast is very similar to the full breakfast enjoyed in Scotland and England sharing many staples and the need to use an extra large platter to include the full bounty. For some it can be a challenge to consume an entire full breakfast but that’s just part of the charm of this nap-enduring meal.

The Full Irish Breakfast consists of Irish Bacon (not the streaky American bacon), eggs, pork sausages, white and black pudding (a sausage made up of pork, oats, and spices with the black pudding including pork blood), potatoes in some form, fried tomato, sautéed mushrooms, baked beans (some find this to be optional, not me), and bread or toast.

Each pub or restaurant will have their own twist on the classic. In most cases it’s absolutely delicious. Luckily, a lot of pubs will offer their Irish Breakfast throughout the day. This is great news for those who love to have breakfast at dinner.

It’s probably quite clear that this traditional breakfast was designed to fuel one for a day of serious labor. If you are sitting at desk much of the day this is not a good daily staple but it is a fabulous weekend treat.

Full Irish Breakfast at Home

per person

• 2 Irish Sausages (aka bangers)
• 2 slices of Irish Bacon
• 2, 3/4 inch slices of white pudding
• 2, 3/4 inch slices of black pudding
• 2 eggs
• 1 medium (or 2 small) cold boiled potato
• 1 tomato sliced in half
• 3/4 cup of baked beans, heated
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Bread for toast – soda bread if you can

It’s best to have a warm oven with a warm baking sheet to keep the various items warm as they are cooked. You can’t do it all at once! Start with the meats and be sure not to overcook anything as they will continue to slowly cook in a warm oven. Lightly brown the potatoes and warm them through. Make the eggs last and add these to warmed plates with the rest of the breakfast. Serve with strong tea or a Dry Irish Stout (learn about Stout). Remember, it doesn’t have to be St. Patrick’s Day to enjoy a Full Irish Breakfast.

If you’re having an Irish Breakfast for lunch and dinner finish it with a dram of Irish Whiskey.

Finding Irish foods – thanks to the internet it’s easy to find everything you need. A few online stores include: foodireland.com, winstonsmarket.net, and even Amazon.com

Remember – It doesn’t have to be St. Patrick’s Day to enjoy a tasty full Irish breakfast.