…should the dreadful happen here at belleau cottage and we miss breakfast, we treat ourselves to brinner… which is quite simply breakfast for dinner, in fact The Viking tells me it’s his favourite meal. He really is ever so easy to please…
… this month the Soil Association brings us Organic September – a whole 31 days to celebrate all that is wonderful about organic food. I am an advocate of organic food but I don’t think it has anything particularly to do with taste, for me it is about the methods used to produce the food, methods that mean better welfare for animals and the environment, stuff I don’t really think any of us could argue with…
… Sainsbury’s is helping us celebrate Organic September by creating some mouth-watering recipes on their website, encouraging us to use their excellent SO Organic range and they very kindly sent me a box of their most classic produce from that range so that I could celebrate with them. I have a few ideas for recipes up my sleeve but because many of the products they sent me are so wonderful and naturally grown I thought I’d better not mess with nature… so i’ve started with a classic, good old-fashioned full english breakfast…
a full english
i’m not going to patronise you with a recipe for this but for those of you living under a rock the full english is a term used to describe a full plate of british breakfast items, the classics being bacon, sausages, eggs, sauted mushrooms with fresh rosemary and baked beans, all available as organic products… I bake my sausages and bacon as I find this a healthy option that most definitely brings out the flavour of the meat… i’ve added the rosti for some earthy depth and colour…
potato rosti
rosti is one of those food items that has a billion different ways to make but I have hunted down the classic original swiss recipe and method which includes potato… only…
6 or 7 medium organic potatoes – skin on, cut in half
150g organic butter
a little olive oil
salt and pepper
– place a large pot of water onto the hob and bring to a rolling boil, throw in some salt
– drop in the potatoes and par-boil until just beginning to soften – roughly 4 minutes
– drain well then place in a bowl and pop them in the fridge for at least an hour
– after an hour grate the potatoes with a large grater and season with salt and pepper
– using your smallest frying pan, heat some olive oil and plenty of butter and drop in a hand-full of the grated potato – pat it down with a spatula and bring the edges in with a pallet knife – leave to turn golden on one side – about 6 minutes on a medium heat
– take the pan off the heat, cover with a small plate and flip the pan, releasing the rosti onto the plate – slide back into the pan and fry for another 6 mins or until the underside is golden and bubbling
this amount of potatoes is good for 4 medium rosti with enough left over to make some stunning potato kugel – recipe for which is coming later in the week…
eat and of course, enjoy!
A healthy full English breakfast. I love potato rosti, eaten many but never made, thanks for sharing the recipe x
Those Rostis look fab Dom! I’m now harvesting loads of potatoes and wanted some more ideas for them so this is excellent timing. I’ll make a batch and freeze them-many thanks for the suggestion!
A full English? Yes, please! If I could have only one meal a day, it was be breakfast.
Best,
Bonnie
I much prefer baked sausages too. A fry-up is one of my favourite things.
I daresay, after eating a full English (yes, I live under a rock) one must be a full Englishman.
My husband and I go out to breakfast a lot. We always get the full deal and enjoy every last morsel. Your full English breakfast looks like one of the breakfast that we so enjoy.
I'd also include some “tattie” scones and peameal bacon and it may not be entirely English but it would satisfy me on every level.
I am a fan of brinner myself. 😉 Fabulous looking goodies on that plate. I would dive in with joy.
I love a brinner myself. sometimes I do it the other way round though, dinner for breakfast. deakfast?
also really great to hear about your philosophy with regards to organic food. I believe it's importatn to know where your food comes from, to know that it has been grown with care and love. I do ALSO think that taste does factor in here too, as foods grown without aritificial chemicals and things somehow do taste so much better, psychological perhaps but I really do trust that good food starts with good ingredients!
Malcolm and I are BIG fans of Brinner too, and a FEB as we call them, is a favourite meal in our house……yours looks outstanding and I would love to have sat at your table with that placed in front of me! SUPER Dom and a great way to cook some of those organic goodies we received! Karen
Your Viking and my Hubby sound like two peas in a pod ;0)
Well, I like the sound of (and look of) Rosti with the Full English, even if it's not traditional. I also like using leftover potatoes, sauteed. And of course Tomato Ketchup is a MUST!
Fully support a full english for brinner! Yum!
I wonder what makes a full english into a full irish? I think it might be adding some black and white puddings – I'm off for a bit of goggling!
Looks delicious at any time of the day or night.
Do you know, I have never had a Full English? (That sounds smuttier than I mean it to). And I have never seen one as lovely as yours (oh crumbs, now that sounds a bit dodgy too). Err, happy brinner!
Our full English included hot tomatoes that were fried up with the mushrooms … Golly! That rosti looks the perfect backdrop for the egg! We like brinner at our house too …
Looking at that plate makes me hungry. I have to admit, I've never heard of baked beans for breakfast! – But, everything looks so pretty and yum I can almost smell it!
I'm fortunate to live in an area with several small organic farms. The fresh tastes are wonderful.
Danna
There is nothing better than one of my own eggs (fried) and two of my own sausages!
bliss
no wonder I look like a fat bas^&RD
One of my hair-tearing hates, are chefs who invent recipes such as 'Beetroot, Bacon, and Walnut Rosti'. You are absolutely right; a Rosti should be made with just potatoes!
Another hate is (of the ilk) 'Pumpkin and Shrimp Tarte Tatin' But my blood pressure is already beginning to rise.
That looks amazing, Dom! Simple and perfect!
'Brinner' really has to make the shortlist of new entries to the Oxford English Dictionary! Wasn't this a fun challenge? Really lovely seeing what everyone has come up with!
I love your take on 'organic', it's mine too.
I have just switched to Organic skimmed milk from the milkman. I've heard it's the only way to drink milk with a concious as the organic milk indutry ensures the male calves aren't slaughtered at birth.
A lovely looking Brinner, and that's from a vegetarian!!
Sue xx
After having one of the worst English breakfasts at a B&B I stayed at in Cornwall last weekend, I am admiring your efforts and wishing more people could cook up a decent fry-up. I also bake the sausages & bacon, saves hovering over a frying pan!