If you’ve ever been to a fancy restaurant or eaten Southeast Asian food, you’ve probably had them. They are a main component in most refined sauces, and add a unique depth of flavor.

The ingredient in question is the shallot.

Similar in appearance to garlic, with several bulbs inside, but closer in taste to an onion, shallots are used as a base for many sauces, or fried and used as a garnish.

Because they are much smaller than onions, they are usually diced smaller, and are therefore less detectable. Though invisible, their flavor is key.

In European cooking, shallots are usually cooked first in oil or butter until they caramelize, often with carrots and celery for a mix that is one of the foundations of French cuisine, mirepoix. If roasted whole, they can even be eaten on their own, or with bread. They also lend themselves to deep-frying, resulting in something like an aristocratic onion ring, used as a garnish on meats or salads.

In Southeast Asian cooking, the ability of shallots to be sweet and savory is useful to lots of dishes. Many Vietnamese recipes use a combination of sweet and salty flavors, and the sweetness of caramelized shallots combined with their savory onion and garlic flavor is a basis for these sauces.

Shallots are generally more expensive than regular onions, but their flavor will take your cooking up a notch. They can be found in most Asian grocery stores, where they’re usually cheaper than at American supermarkets.

Shallots are a great base for many classic sauces, but their uses are endless. Anywhere you want to add another layer of flavor, just add shallots. Be sure to cook them first in a little oil on medium-low heat until they become slightly brown and translucent, then continue the recipe as usual from there.

— Jeremy Konick

jeremykonick@thedaily.washington.edu