Cookery -what are shallots?!


Question: Cookery -what are shallots!?
Answers:
Shallots have a brownish thin skin, and somewhat resemble garlic in shape!. They’re about the same size, and bulbous, with different sections connected at the base!. Recipes will frequently specify X number of shallots, which personally, I’ve always found a little confusing, given that shallots, like garlic, tend to come bunched; but unlike with garlic, each distinct section is generally considered a single shallot!. When you slice up a shallot, however, you’ll find it has a purplish tinge and looks more like miniature red onion!. The flavor of the shallot is frequently described as a cross between sweet onion and garlic – it’s quite distinctive, at any rate, smooth & delicious!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

The preferred onions for Thai cooking are red shallots; they are purplish red in color and come smaller than the orangish-brown shallots sold in American markets, which may be substituted!. Although larger varieties such as yellow onions are grown in Thailand, most of them are exported and relatively few find their way into Thai dishes!. Shallots give a greater depth of flavor when chopped and pounded to make curry and chilli pastes; on the other hand, when eaten raw in salads, they are sweet and mild, leaving much less of a lingering aftertaste or "onion breath!." Their size can vary considerably, but because the amount used for most dishes is not critical, make your own rough estimate on how many to use based on the size of the batch you bought (i!.e!., if they are large and come as a double, count them as two, and so forth)!. Thai people use red shallots very generously, and like garlic, they are a fundamental ingredient in the cuisine!.

For some curries and chilli pastes, shallots are roasted to give a smoky dimension!. This may be done by placing them with their skin still on in a very hot toaster oven (450 degrees F!.), or in a dry pan over a burner set at medium heat!. Cut the root tip off first to keep them from bursting when heated up!. Roast until softened all the way through and slightly charred on the outside!. This may take 15-20 minutes!. When roasting in a dry pan over the stove, turn them frequently!. In Thailand, shallots are usually roasted in the charcoal brazier, which adds a much more pronounced smoky flavor!.

Shallots are also fried into brown crispy pieces to sprinkle on salads and garnish finished dishes!. Fry thin slices in plenty of oil (enough to submerge the pieces) in a wok or small pan until they turn golden brown!. Because western shallots contain more moisture than Thai red shallots, they should be fried over low heat for a prolonged period of time (20 minutes or longer) to allow the slices to dry up before they brown!. This ensures that the pieces turn crispy after they are drained from the oil and cooled!. When fried at high temperatures, the pieces brown quickly but are likely to be soggy and greasy!. When crisped properly, the shallot pieces absorb little oil and should not taste greasy!. For western shallots, I find that slicing them crosswise into rings tend to produce more evenly crisped shallots than when they are sliced lengthwise!.

nfd?
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i form of onions with long green stems cut small usually for garnish or light flavor!.
http://images!.google!.com/imgres!?imgurl=h!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

A type of onion with long, pointed, pear-shaped, aggregated bulbs!.
The mild-flavored bulb of this plant, used in cookeryWww@FoodAQ@Com

Shallots are favored for their mild onion flavorWww@FoodAQ@Com

shallots are just a smaller version of an onion and it just a bit sweeter!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com

They're tiny onion - like things, slightly purpleWww@FoodAQ@Com

Baby onions! They have a sweeter flavour!. :)Www@FoodAQ@Com

Baby onions, I think :)Www@FoodAQ@Com





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