Shallot Confit (Asian Style)

Being raised in a family of foodies, food has been a major part of my life as far as I can remember. Whenever I was having the “gift-worthy” moments, much to my disappointment, my parents would always say to me “we’ll take you out for a good meal” instead of  showering me with video games and clothes. Although it was never explained to me why they did this, I eventually realise that if I were given the gifts then, it’s most likely I would be the only person who get the enjoyment out of them; but if we all went out for a meal, it was a celebration that we’ll remember for life.

Certain scent will conjure certain memories. Whenever I am feeling a little homesick and vulnerable,  the scent of shallot confit will take my back to my parents’ kitchen where I used to sneak around waiting to savour the crispy shallots like potato chips when no one was looking.

Honestly, I don’t have a specified measurement to make this. It depends how much you want to make really.

This time, I used about 3 large shallots, sliced thinly and  use a paper towel to dry any excess moisture from the slice shallots to ensure they are crispy when frying.

Fry the shallots in oil in medium to low heat. The amount of oil should be enough to cover all the sliced shallots. Yes, it seems like a lot of oil but the flavored oil can be used later in stir fry or soups.

Unless the shallots are perfectly sliced, the tiny bits will become brown first whereas the thicker bits are still uncooked. Hence, stir gently to make sure the thicker bits are on the center of the pan/wok (where the heat is most intense).

Once the shallots are done, spread them on a flat plate to let it cool. If you don’t spread them, the steam will prevent them from turning crispy if they are lumped together.

As to how I would use the crispy shallots, generally, I think it works great for most Chinese and Indian dishes in stir frys, rice and noodles.  To name a few, you can try the shallots (as a garnish) with the following recipes from my blog: -

Fried rice

(if you add the shallots, cut out the garlic if you are not fan of strong flavored food)

Chicken chow mein & chicken rice pot

Dhal curry