AllenOK
New member
If you start reading a lot of the recipes that I post from my job, you'll notice that I use shallots in just about all of them. I love the taste! They add a level of flavor that you don't normally see in home-cooked foods (at least around here). I will occasionally even use shallots at home, although I usually make do with onions.
In flavor, shallots are milder then onions, with a hint of garlic. The "bulb" is more like a clove of garlic, and sometimes has split into two "cloves". The clove is usually wrapped in a reddish-brown papery layer like an onion.
Where I work, we get them in a gallon jug, pre-peeled and ready to go, sort of. But, I still have to cut off the root end.
For home prep, I find it easiest NOT to treat shallots like you would an onion (slicing in half, then slicing, but leaving the root intact, then dicing). I go ahead and cut the shallot in half, top to bottom. Lay the cut side down, and slice off the root end, and the tip. Peel off the papery layer(s). Finally, rotate the shallot so that it is aligned with the top or bottom facing you. With a controlled chopping stroke, cut the shallot into strips (julienne). The layers will separate out.
For the bulk of what I do, this is enough. Occasionally, though, I will need them minced. Just take the julienned strips, and rotate them so they are laying left-to-right. Using the same cutting motion as above, cut across the strips.
Remember, this is small stuff here. Control is your goal, not speed. You don't want to tag a fingertip, as like raw garlic and onions, the juices will STING in a cut.
In flavor, shallots are milder then onions, with a hint of garlic. The "bulb" is more like a clove of garlic, and sometimes has split into two "cloves". The clove is usually wrapped in a reddish-brown papery layer like an onion.
Where I work, we get them in a gallon jug, pre-peeled and ready to go, sort of. But, I still have to cut off the root end.
For home prep, I find it easiest NOT to treat shallots like you would an onion (slicing in half, then slicing, but leaving the root intact, then dicing). I go ahead and cut the shallot in half, top to bottom. Lay the cut side down, and slice off the root end, and the tip. Peel off the papery layer(s). Finally, rotate the shallot so that it is aligned with the top or bottom facing you. With a controlled chopping stroke, cut the shallot into strips (julienne). The layers will separate out.
For the bulk of what I do, this is enough. Occasionally, though, I will need them minced. Just take the julienned strips, and rotate them so they are laying left-to-right. Using the same cutting motion as above, cut across the strips.
Remember, this is small stuff here. Control is your goal, not speed. You don't want to tag a fingertip, as like raw garlic and onions, the juices will STING in a cut.
