This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at City London chapter.

Spring holidays are about to start and soon it will be time to spend some time at home. It won’t take long until your parents will start to wonder what you have learned from living alone in UK for all this time. The perfect way to amaze them once you’re back home is to learn how to cook the perfect English Breakfast!

The English Breakfast, also known as “full breakfast”, “full monty”, “bacon and eggs” and “fry-up”, was born in the 1800s during the Victorian Age, when eating together in the morning was a rite and knowing how to cook the perfect morning meal an art. It became popular because of its low price, easy availability of ingredients and high evergy provision. During the Industrial Revolution workers chose this meal in order to have a “hearty hot breakfast” before leaving for a day of hard physical work.

Maybe it is for this reason that the English breakfast is one of Britain’s most popular recipes in the world. It is also a perfect remedy after an hangover and will surely impress your family (and it’ll also look like you can cook properly!).

To prepare your breakfast you’ll need:

Rashers of smoked bacon
One sausage
One egg
Mushrooms (about 4 per each plate)
Two slices of bread
A tomato
Beans in tomato sauce
Butter and olive oil

On the Internet you will find thousands of pages that explain how to cook it, but I want to give you some precious tips that will make it an unforgettable experience for your guests.

BACON: The best place to buy your bacon is surely at the butcher’s. The supermarkets’ one is generally fine, but the taste is completely different.The trick for obtaining a crispy and tasty bacon is to cook it without oil or butter in a frying pan. Do not shake the pan around and, if needed, prink if to avoid it from curling. Turn it when it’s gilding – and be careful, because it burns in the blink of an eye. When it is ready put it in a pre-heated oven at a low temperature for some minutes. It will keep it warm and make it more crunchy!

The LIGHT solution: if you want a lighter option, try with smoked ham or turkey and chicken bacon!

SAUSAGE: To obtain the perfect sausage cook it slowly in the bacon fat at a moderate temperature: it will give it a nice taste and colour. If the fat is not enough, add some olive oil. Turn it regularly and try not to prick it as this would make its natural flavour escape.

The LIGHT solution: as same as bacon, turkey sausages are healthier than the pork ones!

EGGS: There are different ways of cooking your eggs: poached, fried or scrambled. Fried eggs are most difficult to prepare. The tip is to set the right temperature for the pan, not too high, and to cook the egg in a rot of butter. You’ll know that they are ready when the yolks will look opaque. While cooking poached eggs put some vinegar in the water, in order to make the whites firm faster and to prevent them from dispersing in the water.If you’re not good at cooking I suggest you scrambled eggs: they’re quick, easy and look good on the plate!

The LIGHT solution: if you are trying to save some calories, remember than poached or scrambled eggs are lighter than the fried ones.

MUSHROOMS:

Big mushrooms are easier to cook than the small ones, so leave button mushrooms behind. Cook them in olive oil with a pinch of salt and black pepper and a nod of butter. If fresh button mushrooms aren’t available, you could try to use tinned mushrooms instead. Remember to wash them carefully before cooking and salt them properly, as tinned ones are generally a bit flavourless. If the mushrooms are fresh do not wash them but simply clean them with a knife or a fork.

BREAD: You may think that fresh bread it the best one, but the secret is that it is actually better when it is one or two days old. Fresh bread absorbs too much oil, while the old one fries perfectly, remaining soft inside.

BAKED BEANS: The easiest thing to do with baked beans would be to buy a couple of cans at the supermarket and put it in your suitcase… But if you don’t have enough weight you can simply prepare them at home. Stir slowly some pre-cooked cannellini or bortolotti beans with olive oil, bacon dices, chopped onions, salt and tomato sauce (you can add also some ketchup if you like the taste!). Cook everything for about 15 minutes and then you’ll have your home-made baked beans!

Now that you know all the tricks remember to serve your breakfast with some tomato ketchup or brown sauce and to complete it with some fresh orange juice, hot coffee or with a traditional cup of tea.

As Shakespeare said: “And then to breakfast, with what appetite you have!”

Picture by the author and by victoriagaines.com

Tips for a Perfect Glorious English Breakfast

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