One could nourish oneself quite happily only on humble alliums before ever venturing into the larger vegetable kingdom. These workhorses of the kitchen, so often taken for granted, can and should be appreciated in their own right. Any one of these allium family members—garlic, onion, leek, shallot, or scallion—can make a meal. Soups come to mind immediately, made from just one or another, or a combination. A rustic onion soup, a creamy leek potage, and a simple garlic broth can all be magnificent.
But perhaps alliums are best known in their supporting roles. Every cook is familiar with the ritual of slowly softening onions in butter, olive oil, lard, or poultry fat—is there any lovelier aroma?—as the necessary first step to building flavor before other ingredients are added. It’s fitting that we call this “sweating,” since alliums do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to making a good meal. They boost tomatoes toward an eventual sauce, they give depth to a simple paella, and they add character to a braised chicken.
Nearly every allium can be roasted, grilled, stewed, caramelized, pickled, or fried. All these techniques serve to emphasize their innate sweetness, taming their sharp bite. But often they don’t require cooking at all. Toasted bread rubbed with raw garlic is divine. Thinly sliced crisp raw onions are welcome in a salad. A little minced raw shallot or a bit of raw garlic are de rigueur for a good vinaigrette. A sprinkle of slivered raw scallions or of chives, another allium family member, is often just the right finish.