Egg with bacon

Fry the bacon first over a medium heat until cooked through, then move it to a warm plate. Crack the egg into the bacon fat and cook over a lower heat for 2–3 minutes, covering the pan briefly if you want the white to set without firming the yolk.

Cook the egg over a low-to-medium heat and cover the pan for the last minute or so; the trapped heat sets the top of the white while the yolk stays soft. Keep the heat gentle so the base doesn’t turn rubbery.

Back bacon gives you a meaty rasher with a small strip of fat, while streaky bacon has more fat and crisps up readily. Back bacon is the usual choice for a British breakfast; streaky works well in a sandwich if you want a crisp bite.

Put a hot rasher and a freshly fried egg in a buttered soft white bap or thick toast. Keep the yolk runny for dipping, or cook it firm if you’re taking the sandwich to eat on the go; brown sauce is a classic addition.

Serve it with toast, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, and add baked beans or a hash brown if you like. For a smaller breakfast, egg and bacon with one slice of toast is a familiar British combination.

Cool leftovers and refrigerate them within two hours; eat them within 48 hours. Reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout, as advised by the Food Standards Agency.