I had a traditional Irish breakfast and it took me back to my roots, although it took a lot of effort.

It was my first time trying to make an Irish breakfast and although it was delicious it was a lot of work.Erin McDowell/The Insider

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  • When I was younger, my first-generation Irish grandparents would often serve me a full Irish breakfast.

  • In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to make myself a traditional Irish breakfast.

  • I really enjoyed the sausages, white pudding and beans on toast but would skip the tomatoes next time.

A traditional Irish breakfast is very similar to a “full English” breakfast, except for a few ingredients.

full Irish breakfast

Traditional full Irish breakfast.Joerg Beuge/Shutterstock

My grandparents were first generation Irish immigrants who later moved to England. I too grew up in England and would usually eat a traditional Irish breakfast when I went to their house. After moving to the United States when I was 7, I always had a full Irish or English breakfast when I went to visit them every year.

In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I decided to tap into my Irish roots and make a traditional Irish breakfast for the first time.

An Irish breakfast is slightly different from the “full English” breakfast in a traditional Irish breakfast. Always It contains black or white pudding and is usually served with soda bread alongside regular toast.

I managed to grab real Irish bacon and hot dogs from a Manhattan specialty food store.

Keswick myers in the west village

I visited Myers of Keswick, a specialty food store in the West Village.Rob Kim/Getty Images

I knew I could stick with American breakfast sausages and bacon and completely mix white or black pudding, but I wanted my breakfast to be as traditional as possible.

Myers of Keswick in the West Village had everything I needed for my breakfast: sausages, Irish bacon, white pudding and even HP sauce, which is technically a British favorite, but I decided to add it anyway.

If you don’t live in New York, you can order lots of British and Irish meats online from retailers like Jolly Posh Foods.

I was also able to get the white pudding, which is even made in Ireland.

Irish white pudding sausage

Irish white pudding sausage.Erin McDowell/The Insider

White pudding usually consists of oats, pork, oil and bread and seasonings, while black pudding also contains pork or beef blood and is known as blood sausage.

While that may not sound appetizing to some Americans, I grew up eating and loving these things. It’s totally salty, greasy and often hard to find anywhere in the US.

I also got the Irish soda bread.

Irish Soda Bread

Irish Soda Bread.Erin McDowell/The Insider

Soda bread is often hard to find in stores. However, because I prepare my breakfast around St. Patrick’s Day, I was able to find Irish soda bread at my local Wegmans grocery store.

I started by chopping mushrooms and tomatoes in my kitchen.

chopped tomatoes and mushrooms

Chopped mushrooms and tomatoes.Erin McDowell/The Insider

I quartered the tomatoes and thinly sliced ​​the mushrooms before adding them to the pan.

I added about a tablespoon of Irish oil to the pan and let the mushrooms cook a bit before adding the tomatoes.

mushrooms in a pan

Mushrooms in a pan.Erin McDowell/The Insider

You can also use olive oil or any butter you have on hand, but using Irish butter like Kerry Gold will add a lot of flavor to the dish.

Then I added the tomatoes and cooked them together until the outside of the tomatoes were lightly browned.

cooked mushrooms and tomatoes

Baked mushrooms and tomatoes.Erin McDowell/The Insider

There was too much water in the pan from the mushrooms, tomatoes and butter I added. I poured some out and set the tomatoes and mushrooms aside while I started cooking the other ingredients.

I placed my sausages and sliced ​​white pudding in a glass casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil.

white pudding and sausage on a glass baking tray

White pudding and sausages on a glass baking tray.Erin McDowell/The Insider

Glad I got the hot dogs as they are much thicker than American breakfast sausages. I baked the sausages and white pudding in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes.

While the sausages and white pudding were cooking, I started frying the bacon.

Irish bacon in a pan

Irish bacon in a pan.Erin McDowell/The Insider

Bacon in the British Isles looks distinctly different compared to most standard bacon you’ll find in the United States. In Ireland, bacon typically comes from the back or loin of the pig rather than its belly. It’s more like what we know in the south as Canadian bacon or “prairie ham.”

Next, I made the baked beans, which I expected to be my least favorite part of breakfast.

haricot bean

Haricot beanErin McDowell/The Insider

While it’s super easy to make baked beans—all you have to do is pour the can into a bowl or saucepan and heat it—at this point I was ready to eat and afraid to make another ingredient.

I also remembered that I wasn’t a big fan of baked beans when I ate this dish as a kid. Still, I decided to give them a fair chance.

After about 30 minutes of cooking, my sausages were crispy and ready to eat.

cooked sausage and white pudding

Cooked sausage and white pudding.Erin McDowell/The Insider

I quickly realized that I was preparing a lot of food, but luckily I had two roommates who were eager to attend the traditional breakfast.

This dish undoubtedly took quite a long time and made four different pans. I usually eat yogurt and honey for breakfast, so this made me feel that way. too much ray.

I decided that brown sauce was a necessity for my plate.

hp sauce

HP Sauce.Erin McDowell/The Insider

With its tangy and vinegary flavor, HP Sauce is typically added to English breakfasts, but I always grew up adding it to breakfasts at my grandparents’ house, so I figured it would be okay. A similar brown sauce from Chef’s is also used for breakfast in Ireland.

When I put everything on my plate, I was surprised at how delicious and authentic my breakfast looked.

Irish breakfast

I just finished my Irish breakfast.Erin McDowell/The Insider

It was similar to the Irish breakfast recipe I followed.

The sausages were the perfect amount of crispy and the white pudding was unlike anything I’ve tasted in years.

full Irish breakfast

I just finished my Irish breakfast.Erin McDowell/The Insider

The white pudding was perfectly crumbly and tasted super authentic – honestly, it tasted like I’d been back at my grandpa’s house. The bacon slices, or rashes as they are sometimes called, were perfectly browned without being too crispy.

The bacon certainly wasn’t as greasy as most American bacon I’ve had, which is something I prefer. I also enjoyed the beans and mushrooms on toast – the delicious flavors really complemented all three types of meat.

I also tried the soda bread for the first time. I fried it and rubbed some Irish oil on it.

Irish Soda Bread

Buttered Irish soda bread.Erin McDowell/The Insider

It was a little sweet and I really liked the taste of dried fruit in it. However, I think I prefer regular toast that I dip in eggs with the sunny side up, as I always do.

The only ingredient on my plate that I didn’t really like was the grilled tomato.

Irish breakfast tomatoes

Cooked tomatoes.Erin McDowell/The Insider

I didn’t like the texture and thought the tomato slices were mushy and unappetizing. Something about a hot tomato just didn’t quite fit me.

Overall, I was very surprised by the Irish breakfast and I found that it really made me nostalgic for my childhood.

full Irish breakfast

I just finished my Irish breakfast.Erin McDowell/The Insider

The smells emanating from my kitchen, combined with the real taste of the food, took me to my grandfather’s house in my youth. I hadn’t seen my grandparents in many years, but this meal really made me feel like 8 years old again.

While I certainly wouldn’t bother making this dish every weekend, I would make an effort for a special occasion, especially now that I know I can find authentic sausages, bacon, and white pudding in New York City.

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