The three ingredients that turn crumpets into the ultimate party starter

Jen Kwok Lee had never tasted a crumpet before coming to Australia. He was 20, newly arrived in Melbourne from Kuala Lumpur, when he first spotted them on supermarket shelves. “It was the first thing I could afford, and I just fell in love with them,” he says. At the time, he cooked them in a Kmart toaster, topping them with lashings of peanut butter and honey.

He still enjoys them that way, but now he also makes them with sea urchin and lemon curd at Sydney Tower restaurant Infinity by Mark Best, where he works as head chef. “The warmth of the crumpet warms the sea urchin just enough that it becomes extra creamy,” he says.

Lee was named SMH Good Food Guide’s 2026 Smeg Young Chef of the Year. Leading up to his win, Lee and fellow award nominees cooked a dinner at Ursula’s in Paddington, where he returned to crumpets once again, this time pairing them with egg yolk jam, creme fraiche and whorls of wagyu bresaola (air-dried salted beef).

“Crumpets are the perfect vessel for the richness of the egg yolk jam, creaminess of the creme fraiche, and the savoury slightly nutty wagyu bresaola, which just melts in your mouth,” he says. “Being able to have crumpets with a premium ingredient like wagyu bresaola feels like coming full circle for me.”

While that combination is hard to beat, these crumpets work with almost any topping – even peanut butter and honey.

Jen Kwok Lee’s crumpets with bresaola and soft-boiled egg

This recipe uses jammy soft-boiled eggs as a simpler, equally delicious alternative to the original egg yolk jam. If you have a sous vide machine at home, you’ll find the egg yolk jam version in the notes below.

You’ll need four 4cm metal rings if you’re aiming for canape-sized bites, or four 8cm crumpet or egg rings for the traditional size.

INGREDIENTS

• 200ml water
• 8g dry yeast
• 4g sugar

• 150g bread flour (see note)
• 150g plain flour
• 6g salt
• 16g baking powder
• 200ml milk
• 100g butter

Toppings

• 9 soft-boiled eggs, quartered
• 150g creme fraiche
• 140g wagyu bresaola
• cracked black pepper, to serve

METHOD

1. Whisk the water, yeast and sugar in a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment) until dissolved.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the flours, salt and baking powder. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the yeast mixture in three batches, until a smooth batter forms.
3. Whisk in the milk until fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside at room temperature for 25-30 minutes, or until nearly doubled in size.
4. To cook the soft-boiled eggs, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and gently submerge the large cold eggs using a slotted spoon. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil for exactly 6 minutes and 30 seconds. When the timer sounds, immediately transfer the eggs to an ice-water bath for at least 5 minutes to stop the cooking process and lock in the “jammy” texture. Gently crack the shells and peel them underwater to ensure a smooth, unblemished finish.
5. To cook the crumpets, heat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat and lightly grease with butter. When the butter begins to foam, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. For canape-sized crumpets (using 4cm metal rings) add 1 tbsp of batter into the centre of each ring. For larger crumpets (using 8cm standard crumpet or egg rings), use 2 tbsp of batter. Cook for 12-14 minutes, or until bubbles form and break on the surface and the tops are just set. Ensure the bases are golden and crisp before removing from the pan.
6. Spoon the creme fraiche into a zip-lock bag and snip a small corner. Pipe the creme fraiche onto the warm crumpets, then top with a quarter of a soft-boiled egg and the bresaola slices. Finish with cracked pepper.

Makes 34-38 canape-sized crumpets or 17-19 regular-sized crumpets

NOTES

If you have a sous vide, egg yolk jam makes an even richer, more luxurious alternative to the soft-boiled eggs. To make, whisk six egg yolks with 1g salt until combined. Transfer to a zip-lock bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Cook in a sous vide water bath for one hour until thickened. The mixture should be glossy and golden, and hold its shape when pressed. Refrigerate for 10 minutes before adding to the crumpet in place of the soft-boiled egg.

TIPS

• Patience is key. Give the batter time to rise and, when you’re cooking them, for bubbles to form and break through the surface – this is what creates that signature honeycomb texture.
• Use the best flour you can find. Good-quality flour will noticeably improve the flavour and texture. Jen Kwok Lee recommends Wholegrain Milling Co.
• These crumpets can be made a day or two ahead for a party or event. Simply reheat them in a pan with a little butter until warmed through and crisp again.

Presented by Smeg.