By Hank
Cheshire,
United Kingdom 
Shallots almost ready
I have 20 shallot plants almost ready to get up, and understand there may be up to 8 shallots to each of them. What can I use these for apart from pickling them ? And are they as good as pickled onions anyway ?
I think I may Have wasted my time space on these.
28 Jun, 2013
Answers
Oh yes, yummy. I made a beef casserole the other night when it was cold and used shallots in it - or coq au vin. As Moon Grower says, treat them like onions.
28 Jun, 2013
Flavour slightly milder than onions which I can appreciate :-)
28 Jun, 2013
If they're not as strong as onions, why bother growing them ? In what way are they better than onions ?
29 Jun, 2013
I like them shallow fried until soft, with a bit of rib-eye steak, but perhaps that's the influence of the rib-eye!
29 Jun, 2013
Many folk don't like the stronger flavoured onions.
29 Jun, 2013
Ah, I see, thanks. i think I'll pickle them
29 Jun, 2013
Dont' "just" pickle them, Hank, you'd miss a treat as they have a much more delicate and "rounded" flavour than onions, particularly - as Worthy says - when the recipe says "fry gently until soft" - or in a rich stew or gravy. I never used them much till I came to France where we generally prefer them to onions...
However, they are much more of a pain to peel etc. as they are usually divided within their skins rather than just one globe like onions!
3 Jul, 2013
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You can use shallots in cooking in exactly the same way you would use an onion.
28 Jun, 2013