Attention shoppers: Don’t bypass the shallot bin in your quest for edible alliums. The onion’s oft-forgotten cousins, shallots seem to be more popular in Europe, but they’re readily available here these days. The copper hue of their outer skin is beautiful; ditto for their sweet pink-purple flesh. There are gray-skinned white-fleshed shallots, too, popular in France despite being somewhat difficult to peel. The marvelously mild pink shallots grown in Vietnam are found in countless Vietnamese dishes, employed with more frequency than onions. (They are available at most Asian groceries.) Crispy Fried Shallots are often added as a crunchy topping for good measure.
Shallots come into play when subtlety is needed, adding more elegance than onions can. One small finely diced shallot can elevate a vinaigrette or salsa verde, give steak tartare the subtle punch it requires, or be used to make a simple pan sauce for steaks or fish fillets.
But pretty much anything you can do with an onion can be done with a shallot; be prepared to fry, pickle, braise, or roast.
Shallot Vinaigrette
All you really need for a great vinaigrette is flavorful oil and good vinegar. But if you add a finely chopped shallot to your vinegar, in ten transformational minutes you will have turned your dressing from pedestrian to superb. Use this vinaigrette for mixed green salads or spoon it over grilled fish.
1 small shallot, finely diced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Put the shallot in a small bowl and add the vinegar, a good pinch of salt, and a little black pepper. Leave the mixture to macerate for 10 minutes.
Beat in the olive oil with a fork, or shake the mixture in a jar if you like. Use within a day or two. Makes about ½ cup
Quick Pickled Shallots
This is a dead-easy method for a super-quick pickle, similar to macerating shallots for vinaigrette. These go well with prosciutto and any kind of salumi, and with pâtés or other charcuterie.
4 large shallots, sliced ⅛ inch thick
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
A thyme sprig
Put the shallot slices in a small bowl, using your fingers to separate them into rings. Stir together the vinegar with the salt and sugar until they are dissolved and pour over the shallot rings. Add the thyme sprig and make sure the vinegar is covering everything. The pickles will be ready in 15 minutes, and they can be refrigerated for up to a week. Makes about 1 cup
Braised Shallots with Pancetta
The shallot’s size lends itself to cooking whole, like cipollini or pearl onions. Serve these warm to accompany any kind of roast.
2 ounces sliced pancetta or bacon, cut into ¼-inch-wide lardons
2 tablespoons butter
12 medium shallots
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
½ cup Blond Chicken Broth or water
Put a large skillet over medium heat, add the pancetta, and cook until barely browned, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and shallots and season generously with salt and pepper, stirring to coat the shallots. Let the shallots brown for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the vinegar and broth, cover the pan, turn the heat down, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the shallots are tender when pierced.
Remove the lid, turn up the heat, and cook off most of the remaining liquid, basting the shallots with the reduced pan juices to finish. Makes 4 servings
These crispy shallots are brilliant in both Western and Asian recipes, where they add a little sweet crunch. Make a large batch to store in a jar in the pantry. The trick is to start the shallots in room-temperature oil and cook them very slowly. The leftover cooking oil can be saved and used for stir-fries.
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large shallots, sliced lengthwise about ⅛ inch thick
Salt
Put the oil in a small saucepan, add the shallots, and set over medium heat. Cook the shallots gently, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes (turn down the heat if they seem to be coloring too quickly), until they turn golden brown.
Place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Transfer the shallots to the sieve and let drain well. Then blot with paper towels. They will crisp as they cool. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Makes about 1 cup
Butcher Steak with Shallot Pan Sauce
Luscious pan-cooked hanger steak. Skirt or flank steaks are also good options.
The preferred French cut for steak-frites is onglet—what we call hanger steak in the States. Butchers know it to be more flavorful, if less tender, than some expensive cuts. It’s best cooked in a hot pan, rather than grilled, with a pan sauce thrown together once the meat is done and resting. If your butcher doesn’t have hanger steak, ask her to recommend another similar unusual cut. Most butchers have something inexpensive and delicious they keep for their regular clientele, such as bavette, sirloin flap, and regional, well-marbled cuts like Newport or Bohemian steaks (another reason to get to know your butcher).
Set a cast-iron pan over high heat while you season 2 butcher steaks (5 ounces is a good portion) with salt and pepper. Put a film of olive oil in the pan, and when it is almost smoking, put in the steaks. Reduce the heat to medium-high and let the steaks brown well on the first side, about 3 minutes, then turn them over. After 2 or 3 minutes, when you see red juices begin to appear on the surface, transfer the steaks to a warm plate. The meat should be rare to medium-rare, or it will be tough.
Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan, throw in some finely diced shallot, and let it begin to color. Stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, then add 1 cup beef or chicken broth and ¼ cup dry red wine and deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with the spoon. Boil to reduce the liquid by half. You should have a dark, concentrated sauce. Turn off the heat and swirl in another tablespoon of butter. Taste for salt, then spoon the sauce over the steaks. Serve with a big bunch of watercress and Golden Panfried Potatoes. Serves 2
