Recipes / Breakfast / British Ingredients Servings
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Quantities for 2 servings
6 rashers of streaky or back bacon 4 large eggs, at room temperature A knob of butter (optional) Flaky sea salt and black pepper Buttered toast, to serve
The base is worth following fairly closely, but everything on top is yours. Change the fillings, herbs and garnishes freely, and use the method as your anchor rather than the exact list.
Method 1 Lay the bacon in a cold, dry frying pan in a single layer and only then turn the heat to medium. Starting cold renders the fat out slowly and gives you evenly crisp rashers; a hot pan seizes the meat and leaves the fat flabby. 2 Cook for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally, until it's as crisp as you like it. Move the rashers to a plate and keep them somewhere warm. 3 Pour off all but about a tablespoon of the bacon fat. Too much and the eggs deep-fry and go leathery underneath. 4 Turn the heat down to medium-low and crack the eggs into the pan, breaking each one into a cup first if you're worried about shell or broken yolks. 5 Cook gently for 2–3 minutes for a set white and runny yolk. If the whites are bubbling and browning at the edges the pan is too hot — lift it off the heat for a few seconds. 6 For a firmer top without flipping, add the butter, tilt the pan and spoon the hot fat over the whites, or cover the pan with a lid for the last 30 seconds to steam the surface. 7 Season the whites, not the yolks — salt sits on a yolk in visible grains and draws out little pale spots. Serve straight away with the bacon and toast. Tap a step to cross it off. Your place is saved on this device.
Cook’s notes Room-temperature eggs spread less and hold a neater round than fridge-cold ones.
Keep the rendered bacon fat in a jar in the fridge. It's excellent for frying potatoes and lasts for weeks.
How it should look Photos of the finished dish, so you know what you’re aiming for.
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