# Why buy shallots?



## oldrustycars (Feb 1, 2010)

I just made a pasta recipe that called for shallots. I never used them before, didn't know anything about them. They tasted just like an onion to me, I diced them up, why should I buy shallots that are about 5 times as expensive as onions? Am I missing something?


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## larry_stewart (Feb 1, 2010)

Personally, I agree with you.  But, Im sure others will come along and disagree with was  

If there is a difference ( which im sure there is)  it is subtle enough not to make any major difference in whatever recipe you are making.  At least thats what Ive experienced.


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## GrillingFool (Feb 1, 2010)

Can't disagree either.
 Lucky me, I can get a 1 pound bag for $1.79 at my local Saigon Market, so I use them a lot, just because I like them. Sure, that's still expensive relatively speaking, but it's an indulgence.
They are the only onion family product that make my eyes water when chopping them!


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## masteraznchefjr (Feb 2, 2010)

I don't get the difference either haha. xD


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## theages (Feb 2, 2010)

Shallots have a milder, sweeter flavor than onions and have a little more tender texture due to their smaller size.  Also, because they are smaller, it is easier to mince them thus adding a more subtle flavor, where as with onions you get more of a small dice due to the thickness of the rings of onion walls.  So, shallots are used for sauces & preparations which require finesse.  They are especially good for Beurre Blancs, mayo-based sauces, demi glace sauces, etc.

And onions are better where a more robust flavor is wanted, such as gravys, soups, roasts, etc.  Shallots are not "better" than onions.  It is more about the application and the end result you are trying to reach.  If you want a "hint" of onion then use shallots.  If you want a "big", robust flavor then add onions.


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## Andy M. (Feb 2, 2010)

You really have to do a side by side taste test with a small recipe for a sauce or whatever to truly decide if the taste difference is worth the cost to you.  Make the same recipe, once with onions and again with shallots and taste them side by side to decide.


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## JamesS (Feb 2, 2010)

Why buy shallots?  Because they put you in jail if you steal them!


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## babetoo (Feb 2, 2010)

a shallot bandit, lol. i don't see any advantage in buying them. a small onion will do the trick.


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## merstar (Feb 3, 2010)

Shallots have a unique taste - different than onions - almost with a slight wine flavor (at least to my tastebuds).  Some people liken them to a cross between garlic and onions. 
I don't like them chopped, however, but prefer them thinly sliced, and either lightly browned or browned until crisp  in extra virgin olive oil.


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## Cooking Goddess (Feb 3, 2010)

I do have a few recipes that call for shallots that just would not be the same with onions.  Mostly, though, I would think you can sub one for the other.  Since I can buy shallots loose at the farmstand for around $1.59 a pound I consider them an affordable treat.


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## Silversage (Feb 3, 2010)

Shallots, scallions, leeks, onions (red, white, yellow, sweet, pearl, cippoline) etc.....

All of these have similar flavor profiles, but also have subtle differences.  While we all  certainly produce fine dishes by substituting whichever we have on hand, the results will not be exactly the same.  For example, the robustness of some onions would overpower the delicate flavors of the tarragon and butter in a bearnaise, while the more delicate flavor of a shallot complements it nicely.  A shallot would get lost in a hearty chili or stew, while an onion is critical to its flavor.

If you're subbing strong onions for shallots, I'd use a little less than what's called for.


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## velochic (Feb 3, 2010)

Cooked, they may not make that much of a difference.  However, I use RAW shallots a lot and it makes a world of difference.  Raw onion can be so overpowering, but shallots give a wonderful aroma of onion without knocking your senses for a loop.  

In a recipe that has many ingredients and you are sweating the onions/shallots or cooking them for a long period, yeah, the flavor of onions turn rather mild and probably isn't worth it to use shallots instead, because it'll get lost.

A good test would be to make something like a Béarnaise Sauce.  It has just a few ingredients and the mildness of the sauce will help you realize that in something like that, an onion would totally throw off the balance of flavors, whereas a shallot is perfect.


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## velochic (Feb 3, 2010)

Silversage, I can't believe we posted at the exact same time and both used Béarnaise as an example.  Great minds think alike.


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## Silversage (Feb 3, 2010)

velochic said:


> Silversage, I can't believe we posted at the exact same time and both used Béarnaise as an example.*  Great minds think alike.  *


*
* 

Or great cooks!!!!!

_(I know, that sounds a little arrogant, but the line was just too good to pass up....sorry.)_


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## ella/TO (Feb 3, 2010)

Just made some  last nite.....Made lovely thick veal chops and the recipe suggested using roasted shallots as a side......Neither of  us liked them at all....maybe I should have sprinkled a bit of balsamic on them....So, I shall use them now as I would garlic or sweet onion....


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## ChefJune (Feb 3, 2010)

JamesS said:


> Why buy shallots? Because they put you in jail if you steal them!


 
ROTFLMAO! 

Seriously, some folks who cannot eat onions are just fine with shallots.  They're a LOT milder than most onions, and altho they are cousins, they impart (imho) quite a different taste and feeling to a dish.


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## vyapti (Feb 3, 2010)

I've found a big difference between different kinds of shallots.  The big bulbed shallots I usually find at the grocery store are, to  me, a glorified onion.  But if you can find French shallots in small, firm bulbs, there will be a more remarkable difference.  The rings are much smaller and the flavor is less bitter.


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## ChefJune (Feb 3, 2010)

vyapti said:


> I've found a big difference between different kinds of shallots. The big bulbed shallots I usually find at the grocery store are, to me, a glorified onion. But if you can find French shallots in small, firm bulbs, there will be a more remarkable difference. The rings are much smaller and the flavor is less bitter.


 
Just as there are many varieties of onion, there are many varieties of shallots.  And there aren't any "French" shallots in US.  they don't do well in our soil.


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## Nicholas Mosher (Feb 6, 2010)

I find that they are (usually) more mild than a typical yellow onion, and their flavor profile includes more garlic.


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## Kayelle (Apr 7, 2010)

It's been my experience that shallots and *white *onions are pretty much interchangeable.  I use only white onions when onions, or shallots are called for.  Although they are always more expensive than the brown ones, I appreciate the more subtle onion flavor. For example, I like raw white onions in salad far better than even a red onion.


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## ChefJune (Apr 7, 2010)

Shallots may be similar to some white onions, but definitely not to all.

Each is decidedly different. If you really don't think so, get some of each and try them side by side in identical preparations.


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## les (Apr 8, 2010)

I like shallots best when served whole in a stew, or in Beef bourguignon. I usually pickle them for Christmas time....they're easier to get in the jars than the normal size onions...
p.s. they are sweeter though


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## expatgirl (Apr 8, 2010)

americans do not buy shallots as a rule.......but if you tell us to, we will..and my goodness they are wonderful....I won't even repeat what my father would say if he were alive today........yes, go with the shallots.....I do so  envy your "stir fry veggies" combos........I want to live and die in your counry


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## GB (Apr 8, 2010)

expatgirl said:


> americans do not buy shallots as a rule


I am not sure I would agree with that. My supermarket carried shallots right next to the onions and garlic. I see them being bought just as often as the other items in that isle. 

I love shallots. They have a delicate and subtle flavor. To me they are similar to onions, but different. If I could not find shallots then I would not hesitate to use regular onions, but I would understand that my final result, while being close, will not be exactly how it would have been had I used shallots.


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## licia (Apr 8, 2010)

I buy and use shallots, but if I'm out and the recipe calls for it, I use Vidalia onions in the same amount. I think it is a good substitute, but I mostly buy sweet onions not yellow or white.


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## expatgirl (Apr 8, 2010)

buying and cooking  shallots is what separates the men from the boys...if you have to ask then you're in my cooking camp......ignorant.......but do learn....theyr'e worth it....


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## expatgirl (Apr 8, 2010)

vidalia onions are to die for and I love them


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## chandrakr (Apr 10, 2010)

Hi,

When you cook onion and shallots it smells different. You could try when you fry it too. And it is too good for your health as well. In south India, Kerala, no household can live without shallots to make a good curry. In western dishes, it might be true onions will be ok, but in kerala dishes shallots is a necessity.


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## JamesS (Apr 10, 2010)

expatgirl said:


> americans do not buy shallots as a rule.......but if you tell us to, we will.



I think you're wrong and right! 

Just the fact that the little rural grocery that I shop at has shallots says a lot about whether Americans buy them or not. They may not have fresh basil, but they always have shallots. 

That said, left to their own devices and traditions, most Americans probably wouldn't buy them. However, we do love our cookbooks, cooking shows and magazines. With so many recipes calling for their use, they've become a common ingredient here.


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## Andy M. (Apr 10, 2010)

Shallots are just another food that has been introduced as a result of the food revolution in this country.  Now they are in more general use.  Twenty years ago they were relatively unknown.  

The same can be said for sun-dried tomatoes, wines as a beverage and in cooking, expanded varieties of potatoes, and so many others.


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