If you read a lot of recipes, you have inevitably come across shallots in the ingredients list. They are used to add variation and smooth depth to a wide variety of dishes, like salad dressings, pasta dishes and quiche.
They are extra special in that they are a bit sweeter than regular onions and offer a wonderful, but not overwhelmingly so, onion flavour to whatever they are cooked with.
Shallots are a member of the allium family, closely related to onions, garlic and chives. Whether diced, minced or sliced, shallots are used for seasoning dishes, either with a soft onion undercurrent or a pop of sharp acidity, similar to a hint of garlic. They can also be used to brighten vinaigrette.
Adding raw shallots to salads, using them minced in a salad dressing, pickling them, caramelising them, frying them, roasting them on their own or with other vegetables and using them in a béarnaise sauce are just a few ways to use the versatile vegetable.
And if you have been struggling to get hold of shallots at a grocery store, the Dutoit Group, which is South Africa’s exclusive producer of shallots, recently announced that its sought-after shallots are now available at Woolworths and Checkers.
The company said shallot season was relatively short, with harvesting taking place between January and May, so consumers had a limited time left this year to get their hands on the sweet, acidic and spicy delights.
If you need cooking inspiration, consider this recipe by chef Mynhardt Joubert that features shallots.
Joubert believes that this curry could be paired with one of his favourite red blends – the KWV Cathedral Cellar Triptych – which had a wonderful wide taste profile that gently snuggled up to the winter dish.
Lamb shank curry
Oven: 180ºC
Ingredients
4 large lamb shanks on the bone
10 Dutoit shallots halved, skin on
6 fresh bay leaves
A bunch of curry leaves
500g baby carrots
3 litres or prepared chicken stock
10 chopped and diced Dutoit shallots
75ml Willow Creek jalapeño-flavoured olive oil
6 large quinces peeled, cored and cut into 8 halves
10 garlic cloves, grated
4g of grated turmeric root
100g peeled and chopped fresh ginger
50ml Cape Herb and Spice garam masala
50ml Cape Herb and Spice Cape Malay curry spice
30ml coriander seeds
3 large red and yellow peppers, sliced
50g dried apricots
50ml apricot jam
1 bunch of chopped spring onions
2 tins of coconut cream
Method
Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
Place the lamb shanks in a large, deep oven proof dish and add the shallots, bay leaves, curry leaves and carrots. Cover with the chicken stock and tightly cover with heavy duty foil. Place in oven for 45 minutes. Turn down the heat to 160ºC and bake for at least 90 minutes.
Remove the meat from the oven – it should just fall off the bone. Strain the liquid and reduce it to about 500ml of stock. Save the carrots for later.
In a large pot, fry the chopped shallots in the olive oil until golden brown. Add the quinces and fry until golden.
Quickly add the garlic, turmeric and ginger, followed by the masala, curry spice and coriander seeds. Fry and stir for about five minutes until well combined and heated through.
Add the sliced peppers, apricots, apricot jam and spring onions and stir through.
Cover the curry mix with the reduced stock and coconut cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
Place the lamb shanks and carrots into the sauce and heat gently for about eight to 10 minutes.
Serve the curry with rice, sambals and chutney.