A decent breakfast- the English one

**MikeT** · 15th-May-2011

Stacey and I sat down this morning to have what has been a mis-nomer in our place as of late, a sit-down breakfast.
Using the English cooked breakfast as a start, we had this:

Nice cup of tea- made with Twinings Breakfast Tea.
Start cooking bacon, black puddings, white puddings, leave the eggs until last.
Make toast in large amounts, Stace and I can polish off at least a loaf of bread just in toast, in a single breakfast, this is "toast cut" bread by the way, you get about 18 slices per loaf.
The bacon is always grilled, frying bacon I've found makes it hard to eat, this is NZ bacon, not the strip type seen in the US, this is more like UK type bacon, call it middle bacon, if you will.
I hate marmalade, Stace makes very good raspberry jam, I like this on toast.
Even though hash-browns are American, we usually have a few of these each, they finish the meal off, they are grilled, not fried.

Reading the HUGE Saturday Christchurch Press newspaper, makes for a very nice lazy Sunday morning, isn't it great to be alive?

**Percy** · 15th-May-2011

No mushrooms?

No fried onions?

Black puddin' isn't English, Mike, but of t'northerners still afflicted by Danish genes.

Marmalade is essential, I'm afraid. You HAVE to have marmalade to finish an English breakfast.

The eggs (2 at least, fried - 'Over-easy' eggs are to be thrown at the wall. ) HAVE to be ON toast (that has been cut fresh with a knife) with the bacon (crispy, snap between the teeth and with chewey rinds) beside them.

And half a tomato, often fried in East Anglia for some reason.

Chutney should be placed in a shallow dish next to the plate. Tea MUST be in a mug.

If you are of the rank 'Squire' or above, you may have a kipper.

**Marx** · 15th-May-2011

I can only +1 what Percy said...

**nivek** · 15th-May-2011

yep gotta have mushrooms and i like my fried eggs on a slice of fried bread

Percy: Black puddin' isn't English, Mike, but of t'northerners still afflicted by Danish genes.

black puddin' is superfandabulous, but then, i do hail from the Danelaw region

**dad_savage** · 16th-May-2011

If you are of the rank 'Squire' or above, you may have a kipper.

I will eat kippers regardless of rank.

**Percy** · 16th-May-2011

Quote from dad_savage

I will eat kippers regardless of rank.

Revolutionary !

**Lady Catherine** · 16th-May-2011

Pft. Biscuits and gravy all the way! Like seriously. It is an orgasm of flavor in your mouth.

**Percy** · 16th-May-2011

Gravy? At breakfast!

Get thee to a Shrink.

**Lady Catherine** · 16th-May-2011

Quote from Percy

Gravy? At breakfast!

Get thee to a Shrink.

You are depriving yourself of something great.

**Richard** · 16th-May-2011

Especially if you are pregnant

**Lady Catherine** · 16th-May-2011

Quote from Richard

Especially if you are pregnant

Biscuits and gravy are for everyone!

**MikeT** · 14th-June-2011

Interesting comments,
My father, who was born in Tavistock, England, got me onto black and white puddings, they are sliced and fried.
They are sheer heaven to the taste-buds.
With respect to marmalade, I stopped eating it for a few years after I found a hair (it wasn't a straight one either) on my toast.

I cannot imagine eating fish, even smoked, for breakfast.

Catherine,
I understand that the "biscuits" you mention are like scones in the UK and the like, the gravy is like a white sauce?

**chevalier** · 14th-June-2011

The perfect breakfast is Scrambled eggs with some Chorizo fried into them and a spicy sausage patty. Toast with a lot of apple butter. A Mug of hot tea is always nice. I really love Earl Grey tea though I have seldom drank it with breakfast.

And since I have foresaken tea and coffee altogether now I substitute Cranberry or Grapefruit juice for the tea.

And mike biscuits here are just small dough cakes that are usually a little flaky on top and bottom. And white gravy is pretty much flour, water, and salt and pepper to taste.

Biscuits and gravy became a staple food here in the United States when settlers moved around alot by covvered wagon. Our breakfasts tend to have a lot of flour based ingredients because of its ease of transport.

Such as biscuits pancakes or flap jacks and white gravy. All were very easy to make in the early morning hours in a wagon train. Oatmeal, farina and and grits were also staples for the same reason.

**nivek** · 14th-June-2011

Chevalier: Such as biscuits pancakes or flap jacks and white gravy. All were very easy to make in the early morning hours in a wagon train. Oatmeal, farina and and grits were also staples for the same reason.

I've often heard grits mentioned in American films and such, what is it exactly? I have often wondered.