How to prepare an onion or shallot
Onions and shallots are widely used in the recipes on this site, generally finely chopped. Here is a method to do it quite easily with a simple knife.
182 K 4.0/5 (20 reviews)
10 min.
Easy
1 IngredientLast modified on: February 21th 2011
You will need:
1 
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 10 min.
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 1 min.
Place an onion or shallot on its side.
Stage 2 - 1 min.
Cut off the base (about ½ cm or ¼") and discard.
Stage 3 - 1 min.
Do the same with the top.
Stage 4 - 1 min.
Slit the whole height of the skin down the side.
Stage 5 - 1 min.
Peel off the skin to leave just the white flesh.
Stage 6 - 1 min.
Rinse and dry.
Stage 7
Cut in half lengthways.
Stage 8 - 1 min.
Place flat side down, and slice horizontally, but without cutting right to the end, so that the slices are still held together.
Stage 9 - 1 min.
Then slice vertically, again without cutting right to the end. You will then have small sticks held together by the uncut portion.
Stage 10 - 1 min.
And finally, slice downwards, as if slicing the half shallot normally, to cut into small pieces ready to add to your recipe.
Stage 11 - 1 min.
Finish by chopping the uncut portion.
Stage 12
Do the same with the other half, and your shallot is ready for use.
Stage 13
See all this steps in a small video.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 1 RDI=0 % | 10 RDI=1 % | 0 | 50 RDI=2 % | 220 RDI: 2 % |
| Per 100 g | 1 RDI=0 % | 9 RDI=1 % | 0 | 40 RDI=2 % | 170 RDI: 2 % |
How much will it cost?
- For : 0.15 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Onion
Like these other recipes: Gisèle's Pasties, Rustic chicken and mushroom pie, Cajun pork with rice., Vegetable stock, Mushroom bourguignon, ... See them all 147
Other recipes you may also like
Fruit crumble
A fruit pudding: very easy to do and delicious: just a layer of fruit with a golden crunchy topping.February 21th 2011359 K4.0 1 hour 15 min.
Soft fruits in sabayon
This recipe is made by briefly cooking an assortment of soft fruits (raspberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries, currants...) with a little sugar to glaze them. They are served in a small dish, covered with a delicious sabayon which can be lightly "burned" on surface.February 21th 2011268 K3.9 50 min.
French dressing (vinaigrette)
Here is a very simple recipe, but it could completely transform, maybe even transcend, your salad.July 7th 20111.05 M4.5 7 min.
Hachis parmentier
This is the French answer (meat with mashed potato and cheese) to the English cottage or shepherd's pie: a typical family recipe which is an excellent way of using up leftover meat. The proportions are vague here: you need "whatever you have left over"...February 21th 2011406 K 24.3 1 hour 25 min.
How to prepare leeks
Leeks are vegetables that are often muddy, we must be careful when washing them to remove mud that would be very unpleasant to "discover" the plate.October 13th 2010552 K5 30 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-06-01)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe (as 2 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.