How to prepare an onion or shallot


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.
195 K 4.0/5 (20 reviews)
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Last modified on: February 21th 2011
For 1 piece, you will need:
  • 1 onion 1 onion
  • Total weight: 125 grams

Change these quantities to make:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 10 min.

Step by step recipe


Stage 1 - 1 min.
How to prepare an onion or shallot : Stage 1
Place an onion or shallot on its side.

Stage 2 - 1 min.
How to prepare an onion or shallot : Stage 2
Cut off the base (about ½ cm or ¼") and discard.

Stage 3 - 1 min.
How to prepare an onion or shallot : Stage 3
Do the same with the top.

Stage 4 - 1 min.
How to prepare an onion or shallot : Stage 4
Slit the whole height of the skin down the side.

Stage 5 - 1 min.
How to prepare an onion or shallot : Stage 5
Peel off the skin to leave just the white flesh.

Stage 6 - 1 min.
How to prepare an onion or shallot : Stage 6
Rinse and dry.

Stage 7
How to prepare an onion or shallot : Stage 7
Cut in half lengthways.

Stage 8 - 1 min.
How to prepare an onion or shallot : Stage 8
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.
How to prepare an onion or shallot : Stage 9
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.
How to prepare an onion or shallot : Stage 10
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.
How to prepare an onion or shallot : Stage 11
Finish by chopping the uncut portion.

Stage 12
How to prepare an onion or shallot : 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 recipe1 RDI=1 %10 RDI=1 %050 RDI=3 %220 RDI: 3 %
Per 100 g1 RDI=1 %9 RDI=1 %040 RDI=2 %170 RDI: 2 %
The % figures are calculated in relation to the Recommended Dietary Intake , or RDI of 2,000 k-calories (or 8,400 k-joules) per day for a woman Change to a man
How much will it cost?
  • For 1 piece : 0.15 €

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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)
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