Irish Breakfast

This is my version of a basic Irish fry-up. Bacon, blood sausage, potatoes, mushrooms, tomato, beans, soda bread and eggs, all on one griddle. It makes enough for about two people, but on a four-burner griddle you can easily scale it up for a St. Patty's Day crowd.

Feel free to add other veggies or more meat. There's no wrong answer on a fry-up, just more plates.

Running a griddle like a line cook

The hard part isn't any single item. It's getting eight things to finish at the same time. The griddle makes that easier, because you can give every item its own zone.

• Meat first. Bacon and sausage go down first, five minutes a side.
• Beans ride along. Put them in a small saucepot and set it right on the griddle. One less burner to babysit.
• Potatoes in the grease. Once the bacon has rendered, the potatoes go straight into it. That's the flavor, so don't clean it up.
• Make a warming zone. When the meat is done, slide it to the far corner and turn that burner off. It stays hot without overcooking.

Tip

Tomatoes and mushrooms only need a few minutes a side. Add them once the potatoes are well underway, not at the start.

Eggs last, always

Turn the burners off, wipe the griddle down, and cook the eggs last. I like them around 300°F, and there's usually enough residual heat to get there. For more on getting eggs right, see How to Make Eggs. If you want an even bigger plate, see the Full Breakfast.

Note

The original write-up didn't list prep or cook times, and the beans and onions show up in the directions but not the ingredient list. The 15 and 30 minutes on the card are my estimates for a two-person batch.