What is an Irish Breakfast?
St. Patrick’s Day is this coming Saturday and we’re excited to celebrate this delicious (and lucky!) food holiday at The Original Pancake House in Denver. In Ireland they say “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper” which means we should all start the day with a large cooked breakfast - now that is an idea we fully support!
In Ireland, the tradition of a full Irish breakfast was started for farm workers to give them energy and sustenance for a full-day of outdoor labor. The meal was typically created with farm fresh produce and homemade breakfast staples, all warmed together in a big frying pan with a generous square of Irish butter. Today’s Irish breakfast usually consists of some or all of the following: bacon, sausages, baked beans, eggs, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and perhaps some cooked leftover potatoes made into a hash. There will also be toast, butter, marmalade, and lots of tea to drink.
Today, most Irish folk don’t have time for such an elaborate breakfast during the week. However, this favorite breakfast meal is savored on lazy weekend mornings and is always served at Irish bed and breakfasts and inns.
At The Original Pancake House in Denver, we serve our own version of an Irish breakfast, our Corned Beef Hash and Eggs. Inspired by the flavors of Ireland, this dish includes our own homemade freshly ground corned beef brisket and onion with diced potatoes. It comes served with two basted eggs and three of our wonderful buttermilk pancakes. If you are looking for a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast in Denver, stop on in and try it!
From all of us at The Original Pancake House, we wish you a Happy St. Patty’s Day!
Irish Breakfast Traditions
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we thought we’d explore Irish breakfast traditions. The morning after all the St. Patrick’s Day revelry, we figured the good folks in Ireland must sit down for a hearty meal. As it turns out, a full Irish breakfast is nothing short of a small feast! Here are a few breakfast staples from the Emerald Isle:
Rashers – Rashers are the Irish version of bacon. This pork treat more resembles Canadian bacon, although it is a fattier cut and is served as a round patty. Where American bacon is traditionally cooked until crispy, rashers are typically fried in Irish butter until cooked through and lightly browned.
Bangers – Bangers are a traditional Irish breakfast sausage. Either made with pork or a combination of pork and beef, bangers are typically short in length and fat in diameter. The word “banger” refers to the sausage’s tendency to split and explode out of its casing when cooked.
Boxty – Considered a traditional Irish potato pancake, the boxty actually more resembles American hash browns. Riced potatoes are compacted into a pancake shape within a hot skillet and fried to make this breakfast staple.
Black & White Pudding – Black pudding is essentially blood sausage, or cooked and congealed blood from pigs or cows mixed with pork, beef, or sometimes oatmeal, bread or potato. White pudding is a similar soft sausage made without the blood. Both varieties are usually sliced and then grilled or fried.
And more still! – All Irish breakfasts are served with fried eggs. In addition, a full Irish breakfast will include Irish brown bread, baked beans, fried tomatoes, and sautéed mushrooms. Whew! With a meal this large, you are sure to have energy for a full day’s work or fun! If you don’t want to fly all the way to Ireland for your next morning meal, we’d be happy to serve you an Irish inspired breakfast in Denver at the Original Pancake House with our very own Corned Beef Hash and Eggs. From all of us at the Original Pancake House, Happy St. Patrick’s Day!