Aussies are very good at breakfast and brunch, but a ‘Full English’ has no peer. Beyond fried bread — which is way better than toast — the incorporation of umami-rich mushrooms and sweet, incidentally good-for-you tomatoes make it a meal to be reckoned with. Here’s how to make your own.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2018/05/celebrate-the-royal-wedding-with-this-full-english-casserole/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/oujiyvrbapv4n1ikydnq.jpg” title=”Celebrate The Royal Wedding With This Full English Casserole” excerpt=”Hello and welcome back to Will It Casserole?, the column where I take your delicious concepts and re-imagine them as tasty casserole creations. This week we’re taking a very British thing — the “fry up” or “full English” — and putting a spin on it by turning it into a casserole.”]
I love to start my day on a note of smug satisfaction, and mushrooms and tomatoes are a great way to lighten up and (healthfully) diversify the classic bacon and egg lineup. Plus, there are a lot of different ways you can prepare each.
On the stove
After you’re done cooking your bacon and/or sausage (and frying your bread in the fat), you can add a little butter to that same pan, then fry the mushrooms until they are golden brown and crispy on the edges. Any mushroom is a good candidate for this.
Then, take a halved tomato, season it with salt and pepper, and plop it cut-side-down in the pan. Cook for a couple of minutes, give the halves a flip, and cook for a couple more, until the tomato is soft and slightly caramelised but still holds it shape.
In the oven
Roasting vegetables may not seem like a typical morning activity, but it should be, particularly on chilly, leisurely mornings. Just toss a couple handfuls of small (or torn) mushrooms and an equal amount of halved cherry tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast them on a sheet pan in a single layer at 190 degrees Celsius for half an hour. Season with a little malt vinegar and enjoy alongside eggs and toast. If you wish to enjoy this comforting side during a hectic week day, roast a big batch on the weekend and reheat in the toaster oven as needed.
In a salad
Somewhat surprisingly, I am a huge champion of the breakfast salad, and marinated, crispy mushrooms are perfectly at-home in a bowl of ante meridian greenery. Just marinate them for about half an hour in a tasty vinaigrette or brine, then fry until they are deeply crispy. Throw on top of your salad, along with a poached egg and fried-bread croutons.
As for the tomatoes, keep ‘em raw here. A raw cherry tomato is pretty good all year round, and they require literally no prep work. (Unless you decide to go the peeled route, which I would not fault you for.)
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