Who doesn’t like a full Irish breakfast? This variation is all done in the oven and can be brought straight to the table. It will keep you going for the day. The key to a good Irish breakfast is the quality of your ingredients. Try to get the best-quality, dry-cured bacon. Simply Better does great, award-winning black and white puddings that are produced in Clare by the Meere family.

This porridge bread is a little bit different from the traditional soda bread as it uses porridge oats. I had the great pleasure of visiting Flahavans for my TV programme a while back. What a great family business.

This is quite a dense bread and is served with smoked salmon. It can be made the day before. Otherwise, it literally takes five minutes to make and is also good toasted for up to three days.

The key to scrambled eggs is making them fresh and not overcooking them. Add in the butter towards the end. If they get watery they are overcooked. Half cook them, take them off and they will finish in the pan. If you prefer your scrambled eggs more chunky, don’t whisk the egg and cream mixture together. Pour or break the eggs straight into the pan and then add the cream, stirring continuously. Enjoy your breakfast and take your time with a nice cup of tea of coffee. You can rush around for the rest of the year.

Happy cooking,

Neven

Neven Maguire’s Home Economics for Life is published by Gill Books

Full Irish one-tray breakfast

Serves six to eight

8 large butcher-style sausages

8 flat chestnut mushrooms, stems trimmed

4 ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half

Rapeseed oil, to drizzle

½ tsp fresh thyme leaves

4 large slices black pudding, halved

8 large eggs

8 rindless dry cure bacon rashers

1 large Batch loaf, cut into slices

Farmhouse fermented butter, for spreading

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly brewed tea, strong Dalkey mustard and Ballymaloe relish to serve

  • 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, (400°F/gas mark six). Put the sausages in a large, sturdy, non-stick roasting tin and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove the tin from the oven and give the sausages a good shake – this will help to distribute any fat that is now in the pan. Add in the mushrooms and tomatoes and drizzle with a little rapeseed oil, then season them to taste and sprinkle over the thyme. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
  • 2 Remove the roasting tin from the oven and tuck in the pieces of black pudding, then quickly break in the eggs and add the rashers. Put back in the oven and cook for six to eight minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking and the rashers have begun to crisp up around the edges.
  • 3 Meanwhile, make your toast and butter and put a large pot of tea on to brew. Put the roasting tin straight onto the table and allow everyone to help themselves. Have small bowls of mustard and relish to hand around separately.

    • Porridge bread with smoked salmon & scrambled eggs

    Serves eight

    450g (1lb) smoked salmon slices or ribbons

    For the porridge bread:

    500ml (18fl oz) carton natural yoghurt

    1 large egg

    2 tbsp olive oil

    2 x 500ml (18fl oz) cartons porridge oats (375g (13oz)

    2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

    Handful of oat bran (optional)

    For the scrambled eggs:

    12 eggs

    6 tbsp milk

    1 tbsp snipped fresh chives, plus extra whole ones to garnish

    75g (3oz) butter

    Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C, (400°F/gas mark six). Mix the yoghurt in a bowl with the egg and olive oil. Then mix in the porridge oats, bicarbonate of soda and oat bran, if using. Lightly oil a 900g (2lb) loaf tin and tip in the oat mixture, then even out the top by pressing down lightly with a fork and sprinkle over the oat bran if using. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown, then turn out of the tin and put directly on the oven shelf for another five to 10 minutes to dry out the crust. Leave to cool on a wire rack.
  • 2 When almost ready to serve, whisk together the eggs, milk, chives and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Heat a knob of the butter in a non-stick frying pan until foaming. Add the egg mixture and whisk continuously for two to three minutes, until just set but still soft. Remove from the heat, as they will continue to cook. Check the seasoning and add a pinch of salt if you think it needs it.
  • 3 Meanwhile, cut the porridge bread into slices and spread a little butter on each one. Arrange on warmed plates and put the smoked salmon rosettes alongside. Add the scrambled eggs and garnish with the whole chives to serve.