Shallot
Allium cepa var. aggregatum · Allium
Top 10 pairings
Cousin to the onion but sweeter and gentler, the shallot grows in clusters of cloves under coppery skin. Faintly fruity raw, it is the base of French vinaigrette; deep-fried crisp, it garnishes Southeast Asian dishes.
Picking a good onedrag
Just cured, dormantShooting and soft
Firm and paperyBuy itAnything: minced raw, sweated down, roasted whole.
SkinPapery and whole, edges lifting
SqueezeFirm all over, good heft
Neck and baseNeck dry and firm, no green tip
SmellFaint dry allium, nothing sharp
Keeping ittap a temperature
A domestic fridge holds it about 5× longer than the counter.
60–70%
Humidity
Open and moving
Airflow