Shallots, raw

Shallots have a milder, sweeter flavor than most onions with a faint hint of garlic, and a finer, more delicate texture that makes them a favorite in the raw and lightly cooked applications where onion would taste too sharp or fibrous. They go into vinaigrettes and dressings, minced raw into a classic mignonette for oysters, or gently sautéed as the aromatic base for French pan sauces, soups, and braises; sliced thin, they also fry up crisp for a garnish on salads and grain bowls. Because they contain more natural sugar than a typical yellow onion, they caramelize faster and can scorch if the heat is too high, so recipes calling for shallots often use lower, gentler heat than onion recipes do.

Choose firm, dry bulbs with tight, papery skin and no soft spots, mold, or green sprouting, and store them in a cool, dry, dark spot like a pantry basket rather than the refrigerator, where they will keep well for several weeks. At 72 calories per 100g, a tablespoon of chopped shallot adds real depth of flavor for only about 7 calories, making it an easy way to build a sauce or dressing without adding meaningful calories. The 7.87g of sugar per 100g is what gives cooked, caramelized shallots their characteristic sweetness once they hit the pan.