Savoury Crêpes with Caramelised Onions & Cheese

1. Melt 75g butter in the microwave or in a small pan on the hob, then set aside to cool slightly. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl, then add a pinch of salt. Whisk lightly to combine.

2. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and beat together. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in half the beaten egg. Whisk together to make a thick paste. Pour in 1/3 of the milk and whisk again till smoothly combined. Whisk in the remaining eggs, then whisk in the remaining milk with the melted butter. You should have a smooth batter that’s the consistency of single cream. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and set aside for 1 hr to rest.

3. While the batter rests, caramelise the onions. Peel and finely slice the onions. Pick the thyme leaves off their sprigs. Set a medium pan on a low heat and melt 4 tbsp butter in the pan. Add the onions and thyme leaves and season with a pinch of salt. Gently fry for 30-40 mins, stirring occasionally, till the onions are meltingly soft and browned. This is a slow process but you do get soft, sticky onions at the end. Pop a lid on the pan and set the caramelised onions to one side.

4. Coarsely grate the Comté and Gruyère. Set your oven to a low heat and pop a heatproof plate in there to keep warm.

5. Put a frying pan on a medium heat to warm up for 2-3 mins. Add 1-2 tsp butter and swirl round the pan to melt it. Give the batter a quick whisk to make sure it's evenly mixed. Add a couple of tablespoons or half a ladle of batter to the pan and swirl to coat the base – the crêpe should be thin and lacy, so don’t use too much batter. Fry for 2-3 mins, loosening the edges of the crepe with a spatula or palette knife. When the edges have browned, flip the crêpe over and cook for 1-2 mins till golden brown underneath. Slide onto the plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat till you've used up all the batter. You should make around 8-10 crêpes.

6. To serve, pop a crêpe on a warm serving plate and sprinkle over a little grated cheese. Top with a spoonful of caramelised onions, then fold the crêpe in half, then fold it into quarters. You can pop the stuffed crêpes back into the oven for a few mins to melt the cheese, or serve straight away, garnished with a pinch of thyme leaves.

7. Batter & Batter
The batter will keep in the fridge in a sealed tub for 2-3 days, if you don’t want to make all the crêpes at the same time.