If you want to know what is a shallot, you will have to have look at some recipes in french recipe books. A Shallot is one the most common ingredients of french cuisine. Its flavor is slightly like that of an onion. Shallots are used in sundry sauces and dishes in French culture. You can find them commonly used in French dishes eaten worldwide. Know more about shallots and try them while preparing delicious cuisines from next time.

There are various sizes and shapes of shallots. They look a little like onion but they are generally smaller than them. The color may vary from purple, rose, grey or white. The shape is generally like that of a single clove of garlic but garlic clove is a bit smaller. Just like in garlic all the cloves are attached to a single head, shallots are also arranged in similar manner. When while reading a recipe, you come across the usage of shallot, a single clove of shallot is being talked about and not the complete head.

Shallots are moister and contain more water content than onion and are therefore more prone to getting rotted or attacked by molds. While purchasing shallots, you must ensure that they are dry and there isn't any beginning sign of rot or mold. The shallot should feel dry when touched but don't go for shriveled ones. Never store shallots in close compact and covered places; this increases the chance of mold infection. Keep them in dry and cool place exactly like you keep onion. You will peel shallots just like you do onion. Slice thin pieces of it. In most of the French dishes, chopping of shallots is done in finer way than onion.

Now that you know what is a shallot and are all set to use them in your dishes, here are some tips for you for cooking shallots:

• Though there are many similarities between shallots and onion, the way in which both are used in dishes, differs a lot
• Only a single shallot or two, are sufficient to give sweet flavor to your dish
• Shallots are over cooked immediately, so if you are preparing a dish in which shallot is to be cooked in oil or butter, make sure that you cook it on a low flame or temperature.
• When prepared with butter, cream or whit whine, taste of shallots becomes angelic.