Large cooked breakfasts arrived in English life with surprising speed in the Victorian era, when a well stocked sideboard of bacon, eggs and kidneys became a sign that a household was doing nicely. Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, published in 1861, helped carry the idea to the new middle classes, and by the Edwardian years it had become a national institution. The plate has since travelled from the country house to the roadside café, picking up baked beans on the way, and every part of Britain claims its own edition: Scotland adds tattie scones, Wales offers cockles and laverbread.

Arguments about what belongs on the plate are part of the ritual, and nobody has ever won one. What everyone does agree on is the timing, which is the true skill here. Our method puts the sausages and black pudding in the oven, so the stove is free for the quick things and you are not juggling five pans at once.

The British Grand Prix at Silverstone fills the campsites around the circuit for the whole weekend, and a long day on the banks deserves a proper foundation. At home it makes a splendid brunch on race weekend, eaten slowly while the paddock chatter fills the screen.

Sausages and black pudding

Ingredients

• 8 British style pork sausages
• 8 slices black pudding
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line the baking sheet with parchment or foil. Put the four plates and the ovenproof dish on a lower shelf to warm.
2. Lay the sausages on the baking sheet with space between them, drizzle with half the oil and roll them so they are lightly coated. Do not prick them; the skins keep the juices inside. Roast on the middle shelf for 15 minutes, then turn each one with tongs.
3. Lay the black pudding slices on the tray beside the sausages and brush them with the rest of the oil. Return the tray to the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, turning the black pudding once halfway through.
4. Move the sausages and black pudding into the warm ovenproof dish, turn the oven down to 200°F (95°C) and keep them in there while you cook the rest.

Bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes

Ingredients

• 8 rashers back bacon
• 8 oz (225 g) cremini or white mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
• 4 ripe medium tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable oil
• to taste salt and black pepper

Method

1. Set the large frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot, lay in the bacon rashers in a single layer, in two batches if needed. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes a side, until the fat has turned golden and the lean meat is cooked through. Move the bacon into the dish in the oven, and leave the fat in the pan.
2. Add the butter to the bacon fat. When it foams, add the mushrooms in one layer and leave them alone for 3 minutes so they can brown. Stir, season with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape them to one side of the pan.
3. Add the oil to the empty side of the pan. Season the cut faces of the tomatoes with salt and pepper and lay them cut side down in the oil. Cook without moving for 3 to 4 minutes, then turn them over for 1 minute. Move the mushrooms and tomatoes into the warm dish.

Baked beans

Ingredients

• 1 can, about 15 oz (415 g) baked beans in tomato sauce

Method

1. Tip the beans into the small saucepan, put the lid on and set over low heat while you cook the bacon. Stir every few minutes so they do not catch on the bottom. Once they are hot, turn the heat off and leave the lid on.

Fried bread and eggs

Ingredients

• 4 slices day old white bread
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• to serve brown sauce, tomato ketchup, English mustard, salt and pepper

Method

1. Put the large pan back over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of the oil added to the breakfast fat. When it shimmers, lay in the bread and fry for about 2 minutes a side, pressing it lightly with the spatula, until crisp. Drain on paper towels and slip into the oven.
2. Set the second pan over medium low heat with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Crack each egg into a cup first, then slide it gently into the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, spooning a little of the hot oil over the whites near the yolk so they set. Season with a little salt.
3. Take the warm plates out of the oven with a cloth. Give each person two sausages, two rashers of bacon, two slices of black pudding, a share of mushrooms, two tomato halves, a spoonful of beans and a slice of fried bread, then slide an egg on top or alongside. Serve at once.

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