DU Cooks and Chefs: Shallots or Red Onions

[KitchenWitch]

Poll question: DU Cooks and Chefs: Shallots or Red Onions

Personally I happen to prefer the more delicate flavor of shallots, but what say you?

[samplegirl]

1. I like the taste of shallots

more pungent.

[Random_Australian]

2. I'm too young to be a chef, but this Cert II guy will tell

you that shallots are best.

(P.S. Cert II = Certificate 2, an Australian measure of qualifications.It alone means I'm an O.K. cook, (nowhere near a chef), and because of the optional course components I took, I know all about food safety... but I still have the core cooking skills to say 'shallots are much better! Red onions are communists!')

[Blue-Jay]

3. I also prefer the taste of a Shalit.

I'll admit that it's an acquired taste, however.

[eleny]

4. Aw jeez - depends on what your fixing!

They're polars apart in flavor. So.... I can't pick! I mean, having to pick between onions. Can't do it. I'm just so glad to be able to eat them again now that I take Protonix.

[yellowdogintexas]

5. depends totally on the dish. For garnishing a mixed green salad

or making chili I prefer the purple onions.

I like to use shallots for chicken sautees, esp if making a lemon or white wine based sauce and I really like to use them in potato soup.

Shallots in butter are a wonderful start for just about any type of saute.

I definitely use purple onions in making salsa

[SOteric]

6. It depends on the dish.

If you're making a Greek salad, you need the red onion. If you're making a pisladiere I recommend cippolinis. Sitting next to a bit of gruyere and some paté brissee, I like carmelised Walla Walla Sweets. With a vegetable gratin I like leeks which have been sweated a bit in white wine. For Crab Rangoon, nothing beats a bit of spring onion sliced on a radical bias. Perched atop a citrus Hollandaise I like snipped chives... etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseum, ad white wine and reduce to demi-sec...