Asia Minor is considered the birthplace of shallots. It contains vitamin C, essential oils and useful trace elements: potassium, iron, phosphorus, calcium. It has long been used in folk medicine for the treatment of stomach and eye diseases. But thanks to its delicate taste, shallots are also loved by chefs. It is often used for making sauces and soups, as well as for flavoring poultry, fish and game dishes.
Onion soup
One of the most popular dishes of French cuisine is prepared with shallots - onion soup. According to legend, once King Louis XIV, not finding anything edible in his hunting lodge except shallots, butter and champagne, fried onions in butter, after which he filled it with wine … The result exceeded all the expectations of the monarch. Most likely, this is nothing more than a beautiful legend. However, it is known for certain that a very easy-to-prepare aromatic and tasty onion soup cooked in chicken broth has long been popular among the urban poor and peasants.
To make onion soup with crispy toast and emmental cheese, you need the following ingredients:
- 500 g shallots;
- 50 ml of vegetable oil;
- 100 g of butter;
- 5 g thyme;
- 200 ml of dry white wine;
- 2 liters of chicken broth;
- 2 g of nutmeg;
- 50 ml demi-glace sauce;
- chicken cubes;
- bouillon cubes (chicken);
- 4 slices of wheat bread for toast;
- 100 g of emmental cheese;
- pepper;
- salt.
Chop the shallots and save in a large saucepan with a mixture of butter and butter. In the middle of the process, add a few sprigs of thyme. Then pour white dry wine into a saucepan with onions and evaporate it. Then fill the shallots with unsalted chicken broth, add ground nutmeg, demi-glace sauce, bouillon cubes, salt, pepper and cook for 20-30 minutes. Before serving, pour the onion soup into bowls and carefully place the grilled slices of bread and cheese on top. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the soup if desired.
Salmon back with martini sauce
Due to their delicate delicate flavor, shallots are often used for making sauces. For example, a martini. To fry the backs of salmon with this sauce, you will need:
- 800 g salmon fillet;
- 400 g fresh spinach;
- 200 g cherry tomatoes;
- 150 ml of olive oil;
- 20 g shallots;
- 80 ml vermouth;
- 60 ml of fish broth;
- 200 ml 33% cream;
- ground pepper and peas;
- Bay leaf;
- salt.
First of all, prepare the martini sauce. To do this: chop the shallots and fry them with chili peas and bay leaves in olive oil. Pour in vermouth, fish broth and cream. Mix everything well and simmer over low heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove the prepared sauce from the heat, strain through a gauze filter and salt to taste.
Rinse the spinach thoroughly and remove the stems. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and lightly fry with spinach in olive oil. Wash and dry the salmon fillet, then, cut into portions, salt and pepper. Quickly fry the fish on all sides in olive oil until tender. Place the spinach and cherry tomato garnish on the plates, with a piece of salmon fillet on top and top the fish with the shallots martini sauce.
