Q: Because I hate peeling shallots, I've started to avoid recipes that call for them or substitute onions instead. Shallots are harder to peel than onions for two reasons: Each lobe has its own skin, and dirt often collects between skin and flesh. Are there any tips or tricks out there to make peeling shallots easier?
Sent by Ariel
Editor: Ariel, I sympathize. I am not crazy about peeling shallots either. But here are some tips for making peeling shallots a bit easier:
One of the tips here is to soak the shallots in boiling water for a few minutes to make the skins easier to slip off.
Readers, any tips for peeling shallots?
Related: Recipe: Chicken with Shallot-Apricot Sauce
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Comments (12)
GREAT question!! I look forward to seeing better ideas than mine, but here's my 2 cents:
I cut the ends off the shallots, flat across so it's easier to get a hold of the peel and pull it off in one sweep. Also, if they are slightly frozen, not totally, just a tiny bit colder than the fridge-they are less strong when dicing and slightly easier to separate from the peel.
Penzey's carries dried chopped shallots. I think they taste the same without all the hassle.
I peel them like they were garlic. Cut off the end, and then a good whack with the knife, and it's much easier to pull off the paper.
Agree with the couple of comments above about cutting the ends off straight across--and will definitely try out that tip of smashing them a bit like garlic. I also tend to peel off the outer layer of the shallot itself, rather than trying to peel off just the thinnest skin. A bit wasteful, but so much easier. I try to pick larger size shallots to compensate. : )
With garlic, onions and shallots, I always peel off the first layer of actual 'meat' like the above poster. Thing is- I throw it in a bag in the freezer, and use it next time I make stock (along with the stems from herbs, ends of carrots, celery greens, etc.) I figure I'll end up throwing a couple onions into the stock anyways- so I don't sweat peeling off a couple extra layers of any of those veggies, as I know its all going to get used anyways. The skin isn't easy to peel, but that first real layer generally comes off pretty quickly and without much effort.
I cut off the ends, then carefully slide my knife between the paper and the body of the shallot. I then twist the knife blade away from the body of the shallot (not sure if this makes sense, if the tip of the blade is pointing down with the sharp edge facing the right, I rotate it in a clockwise direction), which pops the paper in a fairly straight line and I just peel it from there. Sometimes the first layer of the shallot comes with it, but like the commenters above, I just throw it in the freezer for stock.
I cut off the ends, take off what easily comes off and then roll it in my garlic peeler (plastic tube that looks like a manacotti shell) and the skin comes off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7DhJEc5OPc
This video taught me how to chop and peel shallots. It's actually very easy. Cut the top off, cut the shallot in half, cut of the end, and then peel!
Huh, I guess I've never had a huge issue, I do tend to peel the outer thick layer too, like some pp's said. But there is no way I would let peeling them get in the way of using them!! The flavor is so nice, and I've started to replace onions with shallots where I can!
Score the flat side of the shallot, then peel from there.
I wonder if the "shake the dickens out of them" garlic trick would work on shallots too?
I've always just cut off the ends and hoped the paper came off easily! For those stubborn ones, I use my knife to get under them. But I definitely have to try the whack technique!