Ingredient

Shallot

A shallot is not simply a small onion. It is milder, sweeter, more aromatic and less watery, with a finer texture and a flavour that reads as more delicate and slightly garlicky. Those differences matter enormously in some dishes and not at all in others, and knowing which is which saves both money and disappointment.

What actually differs

Shallots have a higher concentration of solids and sugar and less water than onions. They also have a different balance of the sulphur compounds that give alliums their pungency — less of the aggressive ones, more of the aromatic ones.

In practice: a shallot is sweeter, less harsh raw, and browns faster because there is less water to drive off and more sugar to caramelise. Its layers are thinner and finer, so it breaks down more readily in a sauce and disappears where an onion would still be present. And it lacks the sharp, sinus-clearing bite of a raw onion, which is why it is the allium of choice for anything uncooked.

It is also more expensive and more fiddly to peel, which is the honest counterweight.

The kinds

Round or grey shallot

The classic small, clustered shallot. Most flavour, most fiddle. The traditional French one.

Banana or echalion shallot

Long, single-bulbed, much easier to peel and slice. Milder than a round shallot but still noticeably sweeter than an onion. The best everyday compromise, and what most supermarkets sell.

Asian or Thai shallot

Small, deep pink, intensely flavoured. Used in enormous quantity across Southeast Asia, and the basis of crispy fried shallots.

Spring onion, red onion, white onion

Not shallots, and not substitutes in the dishes where a shallot matters — though a red onion is the closest for a raw application.

Where the shallot genuinely matters

These are the dishes where substituting an onion changes the result.

• Vinaigrette and salad dressing. Finely chopped raw shallot in vinegar for a few minutes before whisking in oil. An onion here is harsh and stays harsh.
• Classic French sauces — beurre blanc, béarnaise, bordelaise. All start with shallot reduced in wine or vinegar, and all depend on it breaking down into the sauce rather than sitting in it.
• Mignonette for oysters — shallot, vinegar, pepper. Nothing else will do.
• Raw, in a salad or a salsa, sliced paper-thin. Sweeter and less overpowering than any onion.
• Crispy fried shallots, sliced thin and fried slowly until golden. A staple garnish across Southeast Asia, and the oil left behind is an ingredient in its own right.
• Steak sauces and pan sauces, where you want the allium to dissolve quickly in a short reduction.
• Pickled, thinly sliced, which takes half an hour and improves almost any plate.

Where an onion is fine

Saving money without losing anything.

• Anything cooked long — stews, braises, soups, ragù. After an hour, the difference has largely gone.
• Anything with a lot of other flavour in it — curry, chilli, heavily spiced dishes.
• Caramelised onions, where you want volume and the long slow cooking does the sweetening for you.
• Stock and stock bases.
• Where you need bulk. A recipe wanting three onions wants a lot of shallots, and the cost adds up fast.

Common questions