Shallot
banana shallot (elongated variety, milder) · échalion · Allium ascalonicum
The shallot is the refined, more complex cousin of the onion — sweeter, milder and with a wine-like quality that makes it the allium of choice in classical French cookery, particularly for sauces, vinaigrettes and preparations where a clean, aromatic allium note is needed without the robustness of onion. Its finer cell structure means it cooks more quickly and responds more sensitively to heat — it burns easily if the heat is too high.
More complex than onion: a mild, sweet allium base with a wine-like note, slight acidity and less sulphurous aggression than onion. When cooked gently in butter: deeply savoury and aromatic. Pairs particularly well with wine, vinegar, cream and herbs.
Denser than onion, with less water content. Cooks more quickly than onion — 10–15 minutes of gentle sweating is usually sufficient. The lack of excess moisture means they caramelise faster.
Cool, dry, well-ventilated place for up to 1 month. Similar storage requirements to onion — avoid cold and moisture.
Peel by trimming the top, then removing the outer papery skin. The natural divisions of the shallot make for a natural fine dice — follow the lines. For raw use in dressings: mince very finely and steep in wine vinegar for 10 minutes to soften the sharpness.