Non-VegetarianNorthern Irish cuisine Breakfast

Ulster Fry

Name: Ulster Fry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Northern Irish
Ingredients: 8 pieces pork sausages; 8 rashers unsmoked back bacon; 4 pieces soda farls (griddle-baked buttermilk bread cut in quarters); 4 slices potato bread (fadge); 4 large Eggs; 2 pieces medium tomatoes; 200 g chestnut mushrooms; 2 tbsp vegetable oil or beef dripping; 0.5 tsp fine sea salt and black pepper

A legendary Northern Irish breakfast featuring crisp bacon, sausages, fried soda farl, potato bread, tomatoes, mushrooms, and eggs all fried together.

🇬🇧United Kingdom· Belfast

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 780 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

8 pieces pork sausages — thick traditional butcher sausages
8 rashers unsmoked back bacon — thick-cut
4 pieces soda farls (griddle-baked buttermilk bread cut in quarters) — split horizontally
4 slices potato bread (fadge) — traditional griddled potato quarters
4 large Eggs — fresh free-range
2 pieces medium tomatoes — halved horizontally
200 g chestnut mushrooms — wiped clean and sliced
2 tbsp vegetable oil or beef dripping — for frying
½ tsp fine sea salt and black pepper — to taste

Equipment

•Large heavy-based frying pan or griddle
•Tongs
•Fish slice or spatula
•Warm serving platter

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 780 kcal
fat: 46 g
carbs: 48 g
fibre: 4 g
protein: 42 g
calories: 780 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat the oil or beef dripping in a large frying pan over medium heat.
2
Add the sausages and fry gently for 12 to 15 minutes, turning regularly until browned and cooked through.
3
Transfer the sausages to a warm plate and set aside in a low oven.
4
Add the bacon rashers to the hot pan fat and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until crisp.
5
Move the cooked bacon to the warming plate alongside the sausages.
6
Place the halved tomatoes cut-side down and the mushrooms into the pan fat, cooking for 4 to 5 minutes until tender.
7
Transfer the tomatoes and mushrooms to the warming plate.
8
Place the soda farl quarters and potato bread into the sizzling pan drippings and fry for 2 minutes per side until golden and crisp.
9
Move the fried breads to the warming plate.
10
Crack the eggs into the remaining hot fat in the pan and fry until the whites set and the yolks remain soft.
11
Divide the sausages, bacon, soda farls, potato bread, tomatoes, and mushrooms between plates, top with the eggs, and season lightly.

Chef's tips

Cook everything in the same pan sequentially so the breads absorb the flavour of the pork drippings. Keep an oven set on its lowest temperature with a heatproof platter to hold the cooked items warm while finishing the eggs. Ensure the breads are fried quickly in hot fat so they become crisp rather than greasy.

Ingredient substitutions

beef dripping → lard or vegetable oil
soda farls → thick slices of soda bread
potato bread → leftover seasoned mashed potato patties

Storage

Best served fresh immediately, but cooked sausages and bacon can be kept in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat meats in a hot dry frying pan or moderate oven until piping hot throughout.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Frying at too low a temperature, which makes the breads soggy with oil
•Crowding the pan with all items at once rather than cooking in stages
•Overcooking the egg yolks so they cannot be broken over the fried breads

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately with a mug of strong Northern Irish breakfast teaAccompany with brown sauce or tomato ketchup on the sidePair with extra buttered wheaten bread for a lavish weekend feast