Stop shallots from burning

[bwoo]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here. So glad that I found this site. The reason I looked around for cooking forums is that there is something that I cannot figure out ...

A lot of recipes call for softening shallots. My obsession with cooking shows also tells me that starting with shallots will enhance flavor. Some of my recipes call for high heat. So, even if I start with medium or medium-low, half way through my recipe, I get a pan full of little burnt piece of shallots.

Can anyone give me some suggestions?

Thanks a lot. I'm looking forward to spending more time on this forum.

ben

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Hi Ben, and welcome to DC! Shallots are one of my favorite allium. I don't notice them being burnt if I add the next round of ingredients as soon as the shallots are just turning translucent. I do know what you mean about going from perfect to "oops" in the blink of an eye though! You could remove the shallots from the pan right before they are just right, then add them back to the pot near the end of the cooking time. I hope this helps.

 

[bwoo]

Hi Cooking Goddess (great username!),

So here's a prime example of what happened tonight. I was making pan roasted Brussel sprouts with chestnuts and lardon (ok, bacon!). I rendered the bacon got it to almost the crispiness I wanted. I got rid of most of the bacon fat (to be reused again later!). As the pan was cooling (or at other times, starting from a stone cold pan, and heating it), I added some olive oil, allowed it to come to a reasonable "medium" temperature, and started to cook the shallots that I had diced into very small pieces (~1mm). Everything's going well.

Then I had to turn up the heat so that I could caramelize my sprouts. This is when the shallots started to (expectedly) burn to until it was black.

So, here's the problem I'm trying to solve - when I use shallots in a manner like this, how do I get the benefits of the flavor and texture of the shallots without burning them? I love shallots, but I can't seem to get through a recipe without creating specks of charcoal! ;-)

Thanks!

 

[karadekoolaid]

I agree with you that shallots are delicious!
Shallots are more delicate than onions, so they cook faster, and the smaller you cut them, the quicker they will cook. 1 mm is very small and very French; I´d try to cut them a bit bigger, around 3mm.
I´d make sure that (a) the temperature is around medium and (b) you keep moving the shallots around the pan until they´re soft.

 

[Andy M.]

Consider reversing the process. Caramelize the sprouts over high heat, THEN add the shallots when they're almost done.

 

[taxlady]

I agree with karadekoolaid. Try chopping the shallots in larger pieces. I imagine that doing them first is so the flavour of the shallots will permeate the oil that the sprouts are cooked in and get farther into the sprouts. If not, then try Andy's suggestion of doing the shallots last.

 

[dragnlaw]

Welcome to DC bwoo! Glad your'e glad you found us!

I too hated burning shallots/scallions/garlic - all those delicate things.

As everyone has suggested - I do it either of the ways.

1. Remove from pan then add back later.

OR

2. Add later.

Nbr 2 is my favourite ... when I remember...
trouble is that the first is the most common ways in recipes and I have a tendency to do that automatically.

 

[bwoo]

1 mm is very small and very French;

I'm not a pro, but I was taught to cut by a Frenchman!!

 

[bwoo]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll definitely try both ideas.
I do have a question about cooking the shallots later. Isn't the whole idea of cooking the shallots first to add the first flavor?

 

[taxlady]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll definitely try both ideas.
I do have a question about cooking the shallots later. Isn't the whole idea of cooking the shallots first to add the first flavor?

It might be. That is why I suggested chopping the shallots into larger pieces. But, use your judgment. When I read a recipe that calls for sautéing garlic too early in the process, I add it later, just so it won't burn.

But, it could easily be that the person who wrote the recipe is just used to the idea of cooking them first.

 

[dragnlaw]

It is for the flavouring of the oil in which all the other ingredients are likely to be cooked.

It highly depends on the recipe.
Smaller pieces are more suited for a background flavouring, as in a sauce. They are likely to melt (if they don't burn ) and disappear leaving only their scent/flavour behind.
Larger pieces are intended to, not only be a flavouring, but to be noticed along with the other ingredients.
IMHO

 

[jennyema]

Cook your shallots using medium-low heat until they are soft and done. Remove them from the pan. Turn up the heat, cook the Brussels sprouts and add the shallots back in at the end.

 

[bwoo]

Cook your shallots using medium-low heat until they are soft and done. Remove them from the pan. Turn up the heat, cook the Brussels sprouts and add the shallots back in at the end.

Thanks jennyema, that was what I was afraid of! Was hoping not to have to do the extra step. Thank you everyone for their suggestions.

I will definitely try
(1) the larger pieces,
(2) cook them afterwards, and
(3) the 2 step method.

ben

 

[jennyema]

Thanks jennyema, that was what I was afraid of! Was hoping not to have to do the extra step. Thank you everyone for their suggestions.

I will definitely try
(1) the larger pieces,
(2) cook them afterwards, and
(3) the 2 step method.

ben

I always do it that way. It’s very little bother.

 

[bwoo]

OK ... i cut my shallots bigger, and yes, it turned out very well. Most of them didn't burn (except for the very outer very thin pieces) .. Thank you all!

 

[dragnlaw]