Shallots! What do you do with them?
I roasted some lovely Yukon gold potatoes with shallots and it was delightful. What kinds of wonderful things do you do with shallots?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
Start Talking!
Need a question answered? Have advice to share? Start a Talk topic now!
Sign up to get your questions answered and share advice.
22 Comments:
when a recipe calls for onion, I almost always sub in shallots.
EtherMaiden at 7:50PM on 10/29/08
Slice them fine and sautee in butter or olive oil until translucent, and add to just about everything. I also remember seeing a traditional french 'onion' soup that called for shallots rather than onions, but alas -- I can't find it to share at right this moment.
bansidhe at 7:56PM on 10/29/08
they are great in vinaigrettes, and you can use them in pretty much anything you'd use an onion for. they are just a bit milder. tons of french cooking recipes will call for shallots. you can put them in herbed butter, deglaze a pan with shallots and red wine for a great sauce on top of a seared steak. the possibilities are endless!! :)
megannesta at 7:56PM on 10/29/08
I use them in French Onion soup, in mushrooms for steak, salad dressings, marinades, etc.
beth1 at 8:56PM on 10/29/08
I use shallots in place of onion almost always. Exceptions would be a thick slice of sweet onion on a burger or sandwich, or thinly sliced red onion in a salad.
izatryt at 9:08PM on 10/29/08
I love their mild, yet almost garlic flavor and love to use them in place of onion, if I'm only using a little - like the size of a shallot. Otherwise, they're way too expensive for my budget. I go through onions like crazy and I'd have to take out a loan to sub shallots everytime I need an onion.. I might string them and wear them around my neck and dangling from my ears. ;)
PerkyMac at 9:24PM on 10/29/08
The main thing I use shallots for is so good and simple. I take small new potatoes and parboil them, when they are half cooked put some olive oil and bacon and shallots in a pan and saute. MMMMMM
JerzeeTomato at 10:27PM on 10/29/08
they're so good minced in guacamole. i use them quite a bit when i'm cooking green and leafys like spinach and kale -- i mince them and some garlic and saute them in olive oil, then add the chopped wilted greens.
cybercita at 10:28PM on 10/29/08
I love shallots! Halve them and slice paperthin, then add them to vinegar with fresh herbs, a pinch of salt, and a couple of grinds of black pepper. Let macerate for a few hours, and you've got a perfect base for gazpacho, or whisk in oil to make a delicious vinaigrette. They're also great sauteed in olive oil with leafy greens and garlic, and (as far as I'm concerned), they're essential for risotto. Minced shallots are classic in French-style wine-based pan sauces (mounted with butter usually, yum). I use them pretty much as often as I use onions - they have a stronger, but less sharp flavor, so you use fewer shallots proportionate to the amount of onion, but their flavor is gentler. I'll often use shallots for soups, especially minestrone-type vegetable and tomato-based soups, while I'll use onions for chilis and spicy dishes. Shallots are simply wonderful!
producestories at 10:42PM on 10/29/08
beurre blanc?
ag3208 at 11:33PM on 10/29/08
Fabulous in risotto!
thehostess at 12:03AM on 10/30/08
Saute them with spinach
NuJoi at 8:21AM on 10/30/08
Great ideas! Thanks a bunch.
I especially like the guacamole idea. Will try that soon!
Your pal,
Deb Schiff
Altered Plates
Here and There
hereandthe at 8:48AM on 10/30/08
I can't recall if it was Michael Ruhlman or Anthony Bourdain who said "the use of shallots is the difference between the home cook and the professional chef".
Pavlov at 8:59AM on 10/30/08
If you use shallots in a vinaigrette, soak them in the vinegar for 15 minutes or so and they will be much sweeter.
LearP at 9:27AM on 10/30/08
@cybercita
Shallots are my "secret" ingredient in guac - all of the flavor of minced onion without the harsh raw bite....
lo82070 at 11:33AM on 10/30/08
Use them all the time in omelettes.
OliverRanch at 12:59PM on 10/30/08
Shallots are often used as part of the base for sauces or risottos. Heat up some oil, shallot and garlic to start and then add the rest of the ingredients for your dish!
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 1:29PM on 10/30/08
Butternut squash and shallots... This is the time of year for it too!
steamsoldier at 4:06PM on 10/30/08
I always thought my secret ingredient for guacamole was minced garlic..... Now I See!...... just use shallot.... Perfect.
One favorite way of using whole shallot is to caramelize (glazed) them whole, just like you would do whole onions...... small saucepan, 1 layer of shallots, T Sugar, T Honey, some butter (you decide), pinch of salt and water half way up the shallot. Reduce until golden in color.
Oh, one other suggestion. I'm big on good pot roasts, throw them in whole (peeled of course)...... always put more than you need as there never seems to be enough.
Enjoy.
lochaven at 9:19PM on 10/30/08
Shallot oil!! Slice them up and gently fry them in a little mild-flavoured oil (try canola or safflower) over a very low heat. They should just go translucent and very very soft - not brown at all. After about 10-15 minutes of the gentle heating, drain the oil, reserving it (you can now use your shallot oil as the basis of stir fries, or in salad dressings, or anything else you'd want to use shallots in but maybe don't want BITS of shallots or want a very mild fragrance instead of strong flavour).
Don't throw away the shallots either though - they too can be tossed into your guacamole or any of the other ideas above, or you can season them and stir through a little red wine vinegar (or reduce them with some red wine) to make some "shallot confit" which will keep in the fridge for a week or so and goes great on sandwiches, savoury tarts, or anything else you can imagine!
w at 12:19AM on 10/31/08
Hilary has a good point with risotto,
I use them in dressings mostly. I really think they add a nice sweetness but thery're slightly subtle raw :)
hungrychristel at 10:15AM on 10/31/08