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.
189 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=1 % | 10 RDI=1 % | 0 | 50 RDI=3 % | 220 RDI: 3 % |
| Per 100 g | 1 RDI=1 % | 9 RDI=1 % | 0 | 40 RDI=2 % | 170 RDI: 2 % |
How much will it cost?
- For : $0.20
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: Chicken with rice and leeks, Warm lentil salad, Carbonnade, Sautéed pork with mushrooms in a cream sauce., Mussels marinière, ... See them all 147
Other recipes you may also like
New tiramisu
This new version of tiramisu is easier, and in my opinion much better. You will certainly appreciate, like me, the light creamy taste, this time presented in brandy goblets. January 19th 2015397 K3.3 55 min.
Pancake batter
Here is a pancake batter that is a little more sophisticated than the traditional version. The pancakes will be tastier with a softer texture. February 2nd 2020351 K3.8 15 min.
Tomato ladybirds
Tomatoes filled with a tuna mayonnaise and rice mixture, in a fun ladybird shape that kids will love, served with a puree of fresh garden peas. A good way to encourage them to eat vegetables. February 21th 2011288 K 14 1 hour 50 min.
Arizona cupcakes
Cupcakes are small sponge cakes. In their original American version, they are usually decorated with brightly coloured icing. Here's a version inspired by the famous saguaro cactus, so common in Arizona. October 13th 2010207 K 14.6 1 hour 50 min.
Almond cream
Light and delicious, it is used in a lot of desserts like tarts, cakes and pies (epiphany galette). August 31th 2025470 K 25 20 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-09-14)
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.