Ulster Fry
Ulster Fry Say it: UL-ster FRY
The Ulster fry is Northern Ireland’s generous cooked breakfast: bacon, sausages, black and white pudding, soda farls and potato bread, all fried until crisp at the edges and served with tomatoes, mushrooms and beans. It is eaten at breakfast or brunch, often at weekends, and sometimes as an all-day meal. The mix of smoky meat, soft pudding, starchy breads and runny eggs makes it hearty and deeply savoury, with each element cooked separately but served together on one hot plate.
Ulster Fry
Ulster Fry
Pronounced UL-ster FRY
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Meat and puddings
Breads and vegetables
To cook and serve
Method
Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C) and put a large platter or tray inside to keep cooked items warm. Set a large heavy frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the oil. Fry the sausages for 12–15 minutes, turning often, until browned all over and cooked through (160°F/71°C); move them to the warm platter.
Add the bacon rashers to the pan and fry for 3–4 minutes on each side, until the fat renders and the edges are crisp. Transfer to the platter with the sausages.
Fry the black pudding and white pudding slices for 2–3 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp at the edges; turn gently so they do not break. Add them to the platter.
Add the mushrooms and tomatoes, cut-side down, to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 4–5 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and the mushrooms are golden. Transfer to the platter.
Pour the beans into a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring now and then, until steaming; keep covered.
Add another 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil to the frying pan if it looks dry. Fry the soda farls for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden and crisp at the edges, then transfer to the platter. Fry the potato breads for 2–3 minutes on each side, until golden and heated through, and add them to the platter.
Add the last 1 tbsp (15 ml) oil to the pan and crack in the eggs. Fry over medium-low heat for 2–3 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, or cook to your liking; season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the beans into a small bowl and arrange everything on four warm plates. Serve immediately.
Regional variants
Some cooks leave out the beans or mushrooms, and a few add fruit pudding or a spoonful of brown sauce. The core plate of bacon, sausage, egg, puddings and fried breads stays the same.
Cook's notes
- Keep cooked items warm in a low oven while you fry the rest; do not stack them or they will steam and lose their crisp edges.
- Fry the puddings gently and turn them once, using a thin spatula, so the slices stay whole.
- Use the bacon fat to fry the breads for the most traditional flavour, adding a little oil only if the pan looks dry.
Serve with
Strong tea, brown sauce or tomato ketchup.
Make ahead and storage
Fry the meat, puddings and breads up to 30 minutes ahead and keep warm in a low oven; fry the eggs at the last minute.
