Fried Shallots

This is the *bomb*. I did go over to SeriousEats to compare, but this recipe hews closely to that one. Used 1 lb of my garden shallots to 2C veggie (canola) oil & watched carefully when they turned a light golden color. Immediately took them off the burner, sieved them & put them on 2 x paper towels. This method worked for me & while I'm not a fan of using this much oil, the fried shallots are exceptionally tasty! And a good use of my many, many garden shallots. Gotta' plant less next year

Forgot to add - slicing them on the 2mm slicer in my Cuisinart took 10 seconds - much easier than a mandoline if you have a Cuisinart.

I can't get this to work for me! Have tried the recipe and 2 reader's notes but I get either skinny burned shallots (in a pan on stove) or uncooked shallots (microwave technique). I'll try again. Any other hints appreciated.

I used half the amount of oil called for and they came out perfect.

I use fried shallots in my chili crisp recipes, and have made them a lot. As the recipe notes, once they look done in the oil it is too late, they will end up burned. For me, trial and error worked best as to figuring out then the color was just right. Now I nail it every time.

OK- now I can say that I've done this. They were tasty. But the results were not worth the effort. Next time, I buy them pre-made.

no need to home cook unless you live in a small city in southern New Mexico where Asian groceries are few & far between.

made as directed. Took a bit longer than 10 minutes, but it was clear when it started to brown and went very fast after that. I'm guessing that when the water finally boils off, things accelerate. I'll be sprinkling these on top of another outstanding NYTimes recipe, Twice-Cooked Pork Tenderlon!

I adore these and put them on everything. The most important part of the recipe is to take them out several shades before the desired darkness. They take a while to start browning, but once they do, they will be done within minutes. I also quickly press out oil while they're draining, toss them so they separate again, then blot on paper towels in a bowl, then salt. They are amazing! I do large batches to make about a quart at a time because deep frying always does seem like a fair bit of work.

So delicious on top of a cold plate of yellowtail nigiri or seared albacore. One of my very favorite sushi condiments.

My favorite way to do fried shallots is to use America's Test Kitchen's cold oil method. You put the shallots and oil in a skillet. Turn on the heat. Once it starts sizzling you turn it down to medium. Let it cook until they're crispy. Simple and it works.

Microwave for 30 seconds can = burnt, bitter bits. Also skip the plastic wrap (unnecessary). Fill one cup glass measure (convenient handle, right depth/surface ratio) to 1/2 full with minced shallots plus neutral oil to cover (I like avocado oil). Microwave in 10 second bursts. The shallots will bubble as they release H2O. Go 1-2 bursts more till golden (not brown), they will continue cooking from internal heat. Drain on paper towels, blot as needed, salt lightly while still hot.

For a speedy microwave version of crispy shallots, put thinly sliced shallots and olive oil in a small glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap, poke a few holes in the plastic. Microwave for 30 seconds, then add additional time, depending on your microwave until they are lightly brown, crispy and fragrant.