“These crispy caramelised sugary-buttered crumpets remind me a little of a kouign-amann, which is a type of French pastry with massive amounts of glorious fat and sugar nestled within its folds,” says Helen Graves, author of BBQ Days, BBQ Nights.
If you wanted to prep ahead, the caramel can be made 24 hours in advance – all you have to do is store it in an airtight container at room temperature until you’re ready to go.
Grilled crumpets with charred pineapple and rum and maple caramel
Ingredients:
(Makes 8)
For the crumpets:
150g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
1½tsp vanilla bean paste
1½tsp ground ginger
8 crumpets
For the pineapple and caramel:
1 ripe pineapple, trimmed
60g unsalted butter
100g soft light brown sugar
50g maple syrup
2tbsp dark rum
1tbsp double cream
Pinch of flaky sea salt
For the lime cream:
300ml double cream or whipping cream
Grated zest of 1 lime
Pinch of ground ginger
1tbsp caster sugar
To serve:
Vanilla ice cream
Method:
1. Prepare a BBQ for two-zone cooking, with medium heat.
2. Slice the pineapple into quarters lengthways then peel and remove the core. Chop each section in half widthways, then slice into three long wedges per section.
3. Combine the butter and brown sugar in a frying pan and heat for two minutes over a medium heat until bubbling. Stir in the maple syrup and cook over a medium heat for about five minutes until thickened. Stir in the rum, cream and salt. Set aside.
4. Whip the cream, lime zest, ginger and sugar in a bowl with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. Keep chilled.
5. Melt the butter for the crumpets in a frying pan over a medium heat and stir in the sugar, vanilla and ginger.
6. Briefly grill the crumpets over direct heat on both sides until lightly toasted only (as they will be cooked again). Dunk them in the butter and sugar mixture, then return to the grill on the cooler side. Cook briefly again, until caramelised on both sides.
7. Grill the pineapple wedges for a few minutes over direct heat until charred on all sides. Add the pineapple to the caramel.
8. Serve the crumpets topped with a scoop of ice cream, the pineapple, the caramel sauce and a dollop of the cream.
BBQ Days, BBQ Nights by Helen Graves is published by Hardie Grant, priced £22. Photography by Robert Billington. Available now.
