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Shallots are a unique plant of the allium family that combines the properties of feather and onion. Producers use the fruits of the plant to prepare various dishes.
Shallots have a long shelf life and do not require special transportation conditions. Its main characteristics are a short ripening period, high yield, and good frost resistance. Another significant advantage is the possibility of growing in both warm and cold regions.
However, this product is not always at hand. It complicates the preparation of various dishes. But you can find a way out by using different substitutes.
What Is a Shallot?
Shallot has been known to the world for almost 1000 years. It was profitable for farmers to grow unpretentious plants in any climatic zones. Nowadays shallots differ from onions not only in appearance but also in composition. The plant has narrow, thin, and high feathers – from 30 to 50 centimeters. The size and taste of the bulb depending on the variety.
Shallots have a powerful antimicrobial, antifungicidal, and disinfectant effect. The vegetable contains a lot of sugars, essential oils, phytoncides, antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins.
The plant also has an increased content of ascorbic acid (vitamin c), systems disaccharides, mineral salts, and phytoncides. These substances help to maintain the normal functioning of the body, strengthen the structure of the hair, as well as improve the condition of the gastrointestinal tract.
Types and variations
Onions are a common vegetable crop, characterized by a wide variety of species. The most common types of onions are turnip, shallot, leek, chives, and fragrant. They have a similar appearance but differ in their taste and aroma.
Ordinary onions are the most common type. Farmers grow it all over the world and most often use it in cooking. It has a round or slightly elongated shape with a yellowish-brown husk.
Less common are varieties with a reddish-purple or white shell. The internal structure of most bulbs consists of fleshy juicy scales located on a shortened stem.
What Does a Shallot Taste Like?
Professional chefs consider shallots an aristocratic vegetable. A unique taste of the product is the main reason for that. The flavor of shallots differs from onions. It is much juicier and does not have a sharp smell.
This vegetable is almost devoid of bitterness and has a delicate piquant taste with sweet notes. Dutch shallots with brown skin have the sharpest flavor. Use it if you want to make a more rich-tasting dish.
How much onion equals a shallot?
Ordinary onions can act as a substitute for shallots. However, their proportions for the same recipe will not be equal. Three shallots can replace one small onion.
If your vegetable is a little bigger, then increase the number of shallots to 5-6 pieces. You can also use the chopped product as a substitute. In this case, the proportions will remain the same.
Can I use brown onion instead of shallot?
The Stuttgart Riesen onion is an early-ripening vegetable. The time from regrowth to a harvest of onions takes about 65-75 days. This variety has flat-rounded, and dense bulbs, medium or large in size.
Dry scales have a golden-brown color, and juicy parts can be white. Brown onion has a pleasant taste, juicy, and not too spicy. Shallots at the same time have a more pronounced flavor and aroma.
However, you can use brown onions as a substitute for shallots. They belong to the same variety and have a similar texture and chemical composition.
Is a green onion a shallot?
Shallots are the closest relative of green onions. Vegetables have a similar chemical composition and structure. However, they have several differences:
- Shallots are copper or brownish bulbs, and green onions are long and thin, with a white base and green tops.
- Green onions are softer and sweeter than shallots.
- You may not peel the green onions before cooking. It is enough to rinse and dry it.
- Green onions are part of Chinese and Russian cuisine, while shallots are common in all countries of the world.
- You can eat shallots both raw and cooked in various ways.
Are shallots like garlic?
Shallots and garlic have an absolutely different appearance, structure, taste, and aroma. However, they are similar in chemical properties. In terms of health benefits, garlic wins by all measures.
It contains more potassium, phosphorus, choline, calcium, and vitamin C.
However, shallots contain more fiber and contain B9. These vegetables are part of various crops and recipes. Choose a more suitable taste. Garlic is sharper and spicier, and shallots are sweet and tender.
Caramelized shallots VS onions
Caramelized whole heads of shallots are an amazing snack and side dish in the French style. For cooking, it is better to use medium-sized bulbs. Fry them first in butter with sugar, and then mix with spices and bake in the oven until soft.
Ordinary onions do not have such a pronounced taste and cooking technology. Its texture is tough and fibrous, and the smell is bright and unpleasant.
Professional chefs do not advise comparing these two products – use them for different recipes as needed.
The best substitute for shallots in the sauce
Shallots are the main ingredient in most spicy sauces. It gives freshness, unique taste, and aroma to the dish. However, what if you forgot to buy shallots? Use the available substitutes – garlic, green onion, or leek. They have a different structure, but they give the sauce a similar sharpness and spice.
To bring the texture of the substitutes closer to the shallots, chop them with a knife or blender. For more similarities, you can also use dried spices.
Thai shallots substitute
Thai shallots have their own unique taste, they are a member of the vegetable family with similar qualities. This makes it easy to find a delicious replacement for the product:
Leek. It has a different shape and size, but a similar taste. The ratio in the cooking process is unequal – 1 medium shallot is equal to one-quarter cup of chopped leeks.
Green onion. The vegetable has a milder flavor and a similar aroma. It will not interrupt the taste of your dish and will look like shallots.
Yellow onion. Its taste is softer and sweeter than white onion. This makes it a closer substitute for shallots and a great substitute for recipes.
White onion. The vegetable is less sweet and slightly sharper in taste than the yellow onions. It is not the most successful replacement for shallots. As a last resort, you can use white onions as a substitute for recipes with boiled shallots.
Red onion. It is not only a source of a large number of vitamins and minerals but also a good substitute for shallots. It has an excellent flavor of a shallot. You can use red onions to prepare recipes of any complexity.
Why do chefs use shallots instead of onions?
Shallots are slightly sweeter than regular onions and have a more subtle taste. Professional chefs consider this product a kind of delicacy. Use raw shallots in the dishes where you want to get an onion flavor without too much sharpness.
Chefs use the product to prepare salad dressings, stews, and snacks. Ordinary onions give an undesirable sharpness for many recipes. It also has a dense and rigid structure that spoils delicate dishes.
How to Cut Shallots properly?
Use a sharp chef’s knife or a paring knife to cut off the tip and root of the onion. You will be able to see the cluster enclosed in a paper shell. Push the shallot pieces apart with your hands. Peel the skin.
To remove the paper husk, make a shallow incision along the length of the bulb. Just peel off the skin off the top layer. Next, you have three options for slicing shallots:
- Cut slices across to the desired width, into small rings. This technique is great for breading and frying to get a crispy texture, marinating, and frying with other vegetables.
- Cut into cubes. Make a parallel cut longitudinally in the middle, then cut crosswise to cut smaller cubes. The pieces are great for flavoring soups, stews, and sauces.
- Cut into small pieces. Use the same technique, but make smaller pieces. This method is suitable for giving a sweet taste to salads and soups.
Storage rules
When buying, make sure that the shallots do not have any sprouts. The bulbs themselves should be hard and heavy, without soft spots and folds. Make sure they are not wet.
Excessive dampness can cause diseases such as bulb rot or mold, which significantly reduces the shelf life. Store any bulbs or roots belonging to the onion family at room temperature. They need a cool and dry place. With proper care, shallots can be stored for up to 6 months.
However, if you need to use a part, store the remaining part in the refrigerator in an airtight container or bag away from any other fruits and vegetables so that the smell does not spread.
Shallot soup with shrimp recipe
Shallots you can use to make a great soup with a bright onion taste.
Such a dish will be a great addition to a family dinner or a festive table. Shallot flavor perfectly reveals the taste of shrimp, making the dish tender. To repeat the recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- shallots – 4 pieces
- coconut milk – 3 cups
- vegetable broth – 1 cup
- shrimp – 400 grams
- olive oil – 2 tablespoons
- coriander greens – 1 tablespoon
- chili pepper – to taste
- garlic powder – to taste
The technology of preparation:
- Take a saucepan with a thick bottom, pour olive oil into it and cover the finely chopped onion. Pass one minute.
- Turn down the heat. Pour vegetable broth and coconut milk into the onion.
- Cook over very low heat for about five minutes, but do not bring to a boil.
- Cut pre-boiled shrimp cut into pieces. Dip it into the soup and warm it up for a minute.
Wheat roll with shallots recipe
Wheat roll is a great alternative to the classic sandwich.
Cooked shallots acquire a soft structure and become tender. As a shallot substitute in this dish, you can use garlic scapes or pearl onions. To make this recipe, prepare the necessary ingredients:
- thin tortilla – 30 grams
- parmesan – 100 grams
- tomatoes – 150 grams
- cucumbers – 200 grams
- shallots – 70 grams
- chicken fillet – 250 grams
- olive oil – 40 ml
- dill – 10 grams
- coriander greens – 10 grams
- ready-made mustard – 5 grams
- sea salt – to taste
- ground black pepper – to taste
- paprika – 5 grams
- lemon juice – 5 ml
Step-by-step technology of preparation:
- Boil chicken fillet in lightly salted water until tender, cool, divide into fibers.
- Cut the shallots into thin rings, put them on the chicken, season with ground black pepper and paprika, pour lemon juice, add mustard, mix.
- Peel the cucumbers, cut into small pieces, put them to the chicken.
- Wash the tomatoes, cut into cubes, place in a frying pan. At this stage, sprinkle the filling with sea salt, mix.
- Grate the parmesan on a fine grater, put it in the filling, season with olive oil at the end.
- Put part of the filling on the edge of the pita bread, sprinkle chopped herbs on top, bend the edges, roll them up.
Common tips
Tips from professional chefs can become your own home chef. Shallot substitutes also fit this list, apply these tips to them as well.
- Buy fresh shallots only at the grocery store. Such a product will not contain harmful substances and chemicals.
- Pre-peel the garlic and onions. It contains a lot of garbage and dust.
- Fry the chopped shallots in butter. So the vegetable will give a lot more flavor and taste qualities.
- You can cook the best shallot only by bringing it to the most delicate consistency. This requires heat treatment at high temperatures.
- Ordinary onions cannot be used as a substitute for shallots. It’s too bitter and pungent. Such a vegetable will simply spoil the taste of the future dish.
Closing
Shallot is a herbaceous perennial plant widely used in cooking. It is closely related to onions and garlic but has a more delicate and sweet taste.
There are many substitutes for shallots, but professional chefs recommend using white onions, yellow onions, and leek.
This vegetable has a lot of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial for the human body. It is also difficult to underestimate the culinary qualities of this product. It makes any dish tender, and spicy.
Evaluate the place of shallots in the world’s cuisine by trying to make recipes with it or its substitutes!