Local & Wild Buttermilk Crumpet Recipe

There is a great skill to making a perfect crumpet; it should be chewy in the middle and crunchy on the outside.
Normally crumpets are cooked on a solid top griddle, but this is an easy oven baked version to prepare at home.

Ingredients to make 12 crumpets
300g strong bread flour
1 tablespoon dried yeast
1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon of caster sugar
200 ml warm water
200ml buttermilk
Pinch of salt
Oil to line the tin

For the Crab Topping
200g brown and white crabmeat
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon crème fraiche
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Tabasco, Worcester sauce, salt and pepper
Pea shoot cress to garnish

Method

 Prepare the crumpet batter by mixing the flour, yeast, bicarbonate of soda and sugar together in a glass bowl.

Add the warm water to the buttermilk, and then blend this into the flour to form a smooth batter. Finish with salt.

Leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours – the longer the mixture rests the more sour and chewy the crumpets will be.

Use a 6 mould muffin/Yorkshire pudding tray so you can cook 6 at a time.

Grease the tray and preheat in a hot oven (220°C) for 5 minutes.

When the tray is piping hot, remove from the oven and ladle an even amount of the crumpet batter into each mold.

Immediately replace the tin in the oven and bake for 8 minutes.

Release the crumpets with a pallet knife and set aside ready to reheat before serving

For the crab topping, mix crabmeat with mayonnaise, crème fraiche, Tabasco, Worcester sauce and lemon juice. Season to taste.

Reheat the crumpet bases, top with the cold crab mixture and dress with pea shoot cress. Serve immediately.