Do you mind if we talk about assumptions for a minute? We're all guilty of looking at a person and making snap decisions - stereotypical or not. Usually, I try to be self aware enough to know what people might think of me, but there's always one that surprises me.
The MrMr's family have always considered me somewhat undomesticated - the word 'barbarian' was once used by the English Grandmother, I kid you not. I'm not sure whether it's because of the simple fact that I'm Australian or because I spend most of my life living out of suitcases and/or thinking about the next big international move - either way, whenever they witness me doing even the most basic thing Chez Moi, it's always met with incredulity. I know that they value me in other ways, so it's not all doom and gloom, but on this front I've tried the debunk and nothing sticks. Instead, I've decided to work it in my favour.
I woke up early last Sunday morning. La Mother-in-Law Francaise was staying over, so instead of whipping on the telly for some sit-com catch-ups, I hit the kitchen. The guys over at Lakeland had sent me a set of Mermaid crumpet rings to try out and I'd made a batch already and couldn't believe how easy - and healthy - they were. All you need is the right ingredients, a few kitchen essentials, a little time and WHAMMO! Not only does your tummy get filled, your home-cred rockets too. Score (for now).
Ingredients
250g strong white flour, sieved
7g dried active yeast
½ tspn salt
1 tspn castor sugar
½ tspn bicarbonate of soda
100ml water
275ml milk
Butter, for greasing and eating
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes per batch of four
Makes approximately 16 crumpets
Equipment
Mixing bowl
Whisk
Scales
Crumpet rings
Instructions
- Heat the water and milk until lukewarm.
- In a large mixing bowl, sieve the flour and add the yeast, castor sugar, bicarb soda and salt.
- Mix in the milk and water with a whisk until a batter is formed.
- Cover with a damp tea towel and place somewhere warm for an hour. The mixture should have risen and be full of lots of bubbles.
- Grease the inside of the crumpet rings with the butter and heat your non-stick frying pan. Add a little oil to the pan.
- Place the crumpet rings into the frying pan and fill them just under half way with the batter (approximately two tablespoons).
- Cook on a medium-to-low heat for ten minutes, until the surface has bubbled, formed holes and dried out.
- Using a pair of tongs, remove the rings once the crumpets have shrunk away from the sides - be careful, they're really hot.
- Flip the crumpets so the tops can brown.
- Serve however you like them or save for the toaster later.
* original recipe via Mermaid, revised by Kate after testing.
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