Shallot
Used in 5 recipes on RecipeWiki.
Shallots are small, elongated members of the onion family, growing in clusters with coppery skins and pinkish-purple layers, and their flavour is sweeter, finer and less fiery than a brown onion's. Because they are so mild, they can be used raw: minced finely, they give Everyday Vinaigrette its gentle bite. Cooked, they melt quickly into butter and cream, which is why they suit the pan sauce of Steak Diane. Chop them very finely and cook gently, as their sugars catch and burn fast. Peeling is easier if you trim both ends and soak them in hot water for a few minutes first.
Most often cooked with
Butter
Cream
Dijon mustard
Garlic
Brandy
Wine vinegarRecipes with shallot
Creamed Spinach
Wilted spinach squeezed bone dry before it meets the cream, which is the whole difference between this and a puddle.
American
Leafy greens
Side dishes
Everyday Vinaigrette
A mustard-emulsified dressing built on three parts oil to one part acid, a ratio worth memorising so you never need the recipe again.
15 minutes
30 minutes
Lobster Thermidor
Lobster meat returned to its shell in a mustard and brandy cream sauce, glazed under the grill until the top is spotted brown.
Dinner
French
Main courses
Salted Tomato Salad
Ripe tomatoes salted twenty minutes ahead, then dressed with the juice that draws out of them rather than plain oil.
Tomatoes
Vegan
Steak Diane
Thin beef fillet seared in seconds, then finished in a mustard, brandy and cream pan sauce flamed at the table.
Beef