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French onion pancakes

Name: French onion pancakes
Cook time: 1 h 10 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: Makes 8
Ingredients: 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to fry; 50g unsalted butter; 3 large onions, finely chopped; 380g plain flour, plus extra to dust; 100ml freshly boiled water; 40ml sesame oil; 2 tbsp garlic powder; 1 tbsp dried thyme; 200g mature cheddar, coarsely grated

By: Omar Foster

Published: 7 Oct 24
Updated: 7 Oct 24

Sticky caramelised onions, garlic, thyme and cheddar are stuffed into these flaky pancakes for a wonderful snack recipe from Masterchef favourite Omar Foster. Fantastic on their own, they can also be rolled up around more cheese and/or ham, or served as a larger spread of French dishes.

For many, cooking is all about experimenting in the kitchen, and few do it better than Omar Foster. This recipe show just how exciting food can be when you respectfully mix two cuisines into one; try his baked apple pie spring rolls and mushroom stroganoff ramen next.

After finishing as runner-up on MasterChef 2023, where he wowed all the judges with his innovative flavour combinations, Omar now works as a recipe developer, consultant and stylist through his agency, Whipped Cream. “If it makes you raise an eyebrow when you read the recipe, but puts a smile on your face when you eat it, my work is done,” says Omar.

Browse our most popular savoury pancake recipes.

Easy
October 2024

Test kitchen approved

Makes 8
Hands-on time 1 hour 10 min

Browse our most popular savoury pancake recipes.

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Nutrition: Per pancake

Calories: 452kcals
Fat: 25g (10g saturated)
Protein: 12g
Carbohydrates: 42g (5.8g sugars)
Fibre: 3.9g
Salt: 0.5g

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Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to fry
50g unsalted butter
3 large onions, finely chopped
380g plain flour, plus extra to dust
100ml freshly boiled water
40ml sesame oil
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp dried thyme
200g mature cheddar, coarsely grated

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Method

Put the 3 tbsp olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over a low heat. Once foaming, add the onions and a pinch of salt and pepper. Leave to cook, stirring occasionally, for 35-40 minutes until brown and sticky. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, put 340g of the flour, a pinch of salt and the boiled water in a stand mixer with a dough hook attached. Knead at a medium speed for 5 minutes until a soft dough has formed. Wrap and chill for 15 minutes.
Mix the remaining 40g flour with the sesame oil, garlic powder and thyme – it should form a thick paste. Set aside.

Divide the dough into 8 even pieces. On a lightly dusted work surface, roll out a piece of dough into a large circle roughly the thickness of a pound coin. Spread 1 tbsp of the sesame paste across it, then spread 2 tbsp of the caramelised onions on top. Sprinkle with 25g of the cheddar. Tightly roll up the dough to form a log, then curl the log into a tight spiral. Gently roll it back out flat to form a pancake roughly 1cm thick. Set aside and repeat with the remaining dough and fillings, keeping each pancake separate between sheets of baking paper.
Heat about 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add a pancake and cook for 2 minutes on each side until golden and crisp. Keep them warm in a low oven while you cook the rest (you’ll need to add more oil when the pan is dry), then serve.