“You can’t go past crumpets for breakfast, and Tricycle Café makes the best crumpets in Tassie. Do you think they’ll mind sharing the recipe?”
David Lee, Battery Point, Tas
REQUEST A RECIPE
To request a recipe, write to Fare Exchange, Australian Gourmet Traveller, GPO Box 4088, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email fareexchange@bauer-media.com.au. Please include the restaurant’s name and address or business card, as well as your name and address.
Ingredients
Honey butter
Method
Main
1.Whisk flour, milk, yeast and 350ml lukewarm water in a bowl to form a smooth batter. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until bubbles form on surface (2-4 hours).
2.Meanwhile, for honey butter, process cream in a food processor until fat separates (2-3 minutes). Strain and squeeze out excess buttermilk (reserve for another use). Pulse butter and honey in a food processor to just combine. Place in a sterlised container and refrigerate until required. Makes about 400gm. Butter will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 4 days.
3.Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and brush with oil. Lightly grease 7cm crumpet rings (see note) with oil. Whisk baking powder and a pinch of fine sea salt into batter. Place a ring in the frying pan and ladle batter into the ring to make a test crumpet (batter should stay in ring and bubbles should begin to appear within 2 minutes; if batter doesn’t stay in ring, whisk in a little more flour; if bubbles don’t appear, whisk in a little more water). Cook crumpets, in batches, until bubbles form on surface (5 minutes), then flip and cook until just set and golden (1-2 minutes). Place crumpets on a tray and cover loosely with foil while remainder are cooked. Serve crumpets warm with honey butter.
Note Makes about 16 crumpets. The chefs at Tricycle Café and Bar adapted this recipe from one by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. At the café they use local honey and local cream. Organic Jersey cream is available from select delicatessens and grocers. If it’s unavailable, substitute another pouring cream. Select specialist cookware shops sell crumpet rings. You can also use biscuit cutters (you’ll need them to be 2.5-3cm deep), but don’t resort to egg rings – they’re too shallow.
