How to Cook an Ulster Fry

Often referred to as a "heart-attack on a plate," the Ulster fry is a dish of fried food that’s popular throughout the North of Ireland. The two basic ingredients are the breakfast staples, bacon and eggs, and these are accompanied by pork sausages, tomatoes, baked beans, mushrooms – and what makes the dish distinctively an Ulster, as opposed to an Irish Fry or Breakfast – fried soda and potato bread.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• To feed 4 8 fresh free-range organic eggs 8 rashers of back bacon -- back bacon has more meat than its streaky cousin 8 sausages 2-4 ripe tomatoes, halved About 20 button mushrooms 1 ring

1. The Ulster Fry is traditionally fried up in lard, but the squeamish can use sunflower or vegetable oil to cook a healthier version of the dish.
2. Preheat an oven to 180°C to keep food warm as it comes off the frying pan. Put a dish in the oven to hold the food. Cover this with sheet of absorbent paper kitchen towel to soak up excess fat.
3. Fry the sausages and back bacon in a large frying pan with the lard or oil.
4. As the bacon slices get cooked -- but not dried out -- and the sausages turn a dark brown color, remove them from the pan and place in the oven to keep them warm.
5. When all the meat is cooked, start putting the other ingredients in the pan which, by now, should contain a layer of flavoured oil from the bacon.
6. Slice the black and while pudding into ½ inch thick slices and fry in the pan, turning once when the first side hardens. When the puddings have developed a nice crust on both sides move to the oven.
7. While the pudding slices are frying, slice the tomatoes and mushrooms in half and, once you’ve moved the pudding to the oven, drop these in the pan. Season with salt and pepper as they cook.
8. When the tomatoes and mushrooms are cooked – it doesn’t take long, as you just want to heat them throughout, not cook them until they’re mushy – transfer them to the oven.
9. By now the pan should have a nice layer of seasoned fat on the bottom – perfect for soaking the soda and potato breads with flavour. Cut up the soda bread farls into quarters and split them through the middle exposing the inner bread. Cut the square potato breads in half to create triangles. Fry the bread in the oil and remove it to the oven when it turns golden.
10. The bread should have soaked up most of the oil so, before you fry the eggs, you may have to melt a pat of butter in the pan in which to cook them. Crack the eggs carefully into the pan and add salt and pepper to taste.
11. About now you need to put four plates in the oven to warm and also heat up the baked beans in a small saucepan.
12. The eggs will take about 2 minutes if you want them sunny side up. Cook longer if you like your eggs harder.
13. Divide the food into portions and serve immediately on the warm plates.

Tips & Warnings

• Because of health concerns even the most ardent advocates of the traditional Ulster Fry have taken to grilling, rather than frying, most of the ingredients. The breads however have to be fried in oil.
• The Ulster fry is not just a breakfast dish and is often served up for lunch and dinner in homes and cafes throughout the country. Many cafes serve the traditional fry-up as an “all-day breakfast” and it is often eaten as a hearty brunch.
• The Ulster Fry is traditionally served with tea. The preferred Irish variety is full-bodied, dark and potent, a blend of several black teas, usually Assam. It is taken with milk. The most common brands of tea in Ireland are Lyons and Barry’s.