Good things do come in small packages

Smaller but more flavorful shallots outshine their bigger onion cousins

Published June 21, 2022

by Janet Blaser

Why use shallots? Aren’t they just the same as onions?

I used to think that way too — until I really started using them. Shallots have a subtler, milder flavor, with just a hint of garlic. When cooked, they caramelize differently and break down more easily and quickly than other onions. Shallots are great on their own or used as a base for sauces and more complex dishes.

Small and round with pinkish papery skins, shallot bulbs have several sections, much like cloves of garlic. (I find them quite cute.) They’ll keep, refrigerated, for several months depending on how fresh they were when you bought them. Look for firm bulbs without a green stem starting to grow. The flesh inside is purply-white like a mini-onion.

While I see shallots (chalotes) in Mazatlan’s larger grocery stores, I don’t know any local person who uses them. Nor have I ever noticed them anywhere on any menu — except at one new-ish Asian restaurant in the historic center. The chef/owner lived, trained and cooked professionally in Thailand — where shallots are an integral part of the cuisine.

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