Runny Egg Yolks Are Essential For The Best English Breakfast Experience

Breakfast has long been a tradition in England since the Medieval period, when it was usually just ale and bread and occasionally cheese or cold meat. During the Victorian era, the nobility showed off how rich they were by cobbling together local produce to create the English breakfast, also called the "Full English" or "fry-up." As England became industrialized and food prices dropped, the English breakfast became popular with factory workers who needed a hearty meal to endure the grueling demands of their workday. By the 1950s, it's estimated that almost half of Britons chowed down the English breakfast every morning. There are several regional variations of the English breakfast — for example, in Ireland the version tosses in a bit of "bubble and squeak" — but most of the components are the same. 

A full English breakfast always consists of two types of meats, most often sausage and a rasher (slice) of bacon, fried tomatoes, fried mushrooms, baked beans in tomato sauce, black pudding, fried bread, and a sunny-side fried egg on top. Scrambled eggs are frowned upon because they lack the runny yolk of a fried egg, which blends with all the exuded juices of the meats, vegetables, and beans to make a delicious savory sauce. Traditionally, a bottle of the beloved HP (Houses of Parliament) sauce is at hand, and a dash or two of this unique concoction, combined with a runny egg yolk, elevates the English breakfast experience to divine.

Some people might be adverse to a runny egg, but when properly cooked, it creates a velvety, rich sauce for many dishes, like homemade chilaquiles or fire-roasted shakshuka. Eggs Benedict and huevos rancheros wouldn't be the same with a hard-cooked egg, and for an authentic English breakfast, a runny egg is equally essential. 

Assembling a fry-up may seem daunting, but it's really just a matter of timing. As you gather the ingredients, keep in mind that British bacon is different from American bacon. Called "back bacon," a rasher is a leaner cut that has both pork loin and pork belly. All sausages in England are called "bangers," but to approximate the banger's oval shape, it's best to get a plump pork sausage that will burst with its juices when pricked with a fork. 

Baked beans are a must, and any canned variety will do. Black pudding is traditional, but since it's made from pig's blood, it might not be to your taste. Each ingredient is fried or heated individually and kept warm, saving the eggs for last. There's actually a precise method for plating everything at 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, etc., but it's your English breakfast, your rules. Finally, drape the fried egg on top, cut into its yolk, and let its runny goodness tie all the amazing flavors together.