Ingredients

• 7g/¼oz fresh yeast
• 275ml/10fl oz warm water
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• sifted
• 7g/¼oz salt
• light olive oil
• for greasing
• 20ml/¾fl oz red wine vinegar
• 125ml/4½fl oz extra virgin olive oil
• 60g/2½oz unsalted butter
• 150g/5oz piece pancetta
• sliced into lardons
• 20 button mushrooms
• cut into quarters
• sea salt
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• for frying
• 4 duck eggs

Directions

• To make the crumpets
• place the yeast into a bowl and whisk in the warm water.
• Place the sifted flour in a separate bowl with the salt. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and whisk together until smooth.
• Cover the bowl tightly with cling film and leave to prove in a warm place for one hour or until at least doubled in volume.
• Preheat the oven to 170C/340F/Gas 3.
• Heat a thin layer of light olive oil in a non-stick pan over a low to medium heat.
• Lightly oil the inside of four 9cm/3.5in diameter by 2cm/0.75in high metal chefs' rings. Sit them inside the non-stick pan.
• Pour or ladle enough of the proved batter into each of the four chefs' rings to come halfway up the sides.
• Cook the crumpets in the chefs' rings in the pan until the top has completely set
• then remove the chefs' rings and turn over. Cook for one minute until golden.
• Transfer to a baking tray
• place in the centre of the oven and cook for a further five minutes.
• Remove from the baking tray and leave to cool on a wire rack until ready to serve.
• To prepare the finished dish
• preheat the grill to medium.
• Place the vinegar and olive oil into a bowl and whisk together. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a frying pan until hot and add 25g/1oz of the butter and the pancetta and fry for about three minutes until crisp.
• Add the mushrooms
• season with salt and fry for 3-4 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden brown. Add the chopped parsley and a grind of black pepper.
• Meanwhile
• heat a second frying pan until hot and add a little light olive oil until just warm.
• Crack the duck eggs into the pan
• making sure that the yolk is in the centre
• and cook gently until the whites are fully cooked.
• Place the pan under the grill for one minute to warm the yolks.
• Meanwhile
• toast the crumpets until crisp and golden brown.
• Using an 8cm/3in plain-edged pastry cutter
• cut the duck eggs into neat rounds. Season them with a little black pepper and sea salt.
• Butter each of the toasted crumpets with the remaining butter and place them onto serving plates. Place a duck egg on top of each crumpet.
• Spoon the mushrooms and pancetta on top of the eggs and drizzle with some of the dressing. Serve.