Hello and welcome to A Seasonal Supper, where every month I celebrate an ingredient at it’s peak.
Shallots are often overlooked in favour of onions, simply because of their size. I think this is a mistake though as their flavour is so different to the onion, as is the effect they have on dishes. Shallots are sweeter with a grassier, leek-esque profile to them. Swapping an onion for a couple of shallots may feel like you are giving yourself more to peel, but the pay off is a subtle and grown up allium flavour in your dishes. I particularly love the smell of shallots in butter, as it reminds me of my time at culinary school. Until then I had never really cooked with them and their scent was so much more sophisticated to me.
But of course I have made the classic mistake here of eliminating shallots and onions to being background notes, when actually they are so wonderful cooked simply in their own right. Today’s recipe is a plateful of very softly, very simply baked shallots. After 30 - 40 minutes in the oven with nothing more than butter, salt and pepper and a bit of water, they become unctuous, rich and incredibly delicious.
Once baked, they are even more wondrous atop a pile of greek yoghurt and tahini, with shards of nutty baked puff pastry studded with sesame seeds and a herby dressing. I love using a sheet of puff pastry as a dipper/crispy element instead of bread. Yes, I am essentially deconstructing a tart but it looks fabulous, tastes great and is minimal work. Plus the Jus-Rol stuff is now vegan-friendly, making it a useful option for your plant based friends.
Before I go any further, a reminder that as a paying subscriber you can get my brand new cookbook Good Time Cooking for 40% off