Bobby Flay Says To Stop Forgetting To Do This When Cooking Shallots
Caramelized shallots are pretty delish. Sweet and flavorful, they can enhance the taste of almost any dish. If you don't believe us, just ask Cameron Diaz who famously extolled their savory and delectable goodness when she explained the virtues of her "shallot gold" to Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show (via E Online). But now, there's a new shallot advocator in town and you might want to take a step back because the celebrity chef jumping on the shallot train is also an Iron Chef and winner of multiple throwdowns. That's right, Bobby Flay recently revealed via an Instagram post for Misfits Market that he is a fan of this member of the onion family, too (via Instagram).
And honestly, what's not to love? As Flay points out in his Instagram post, shallots are unique in that they satisfy your taste buds' needs for both the sweet and the salty, and when you fry them up and layer them on a steak or a salad or vegetable dish, you are really taking your meal to the next level of food euphoria. They are just that good. But Flay went on to share that you are probably committing a huge culinary faux pas if you are making this mistake when you are frying up your prized shallots.
Don't toss your shallot oil
Flay says you should save the oil after you make your crispy, caramelized, mouthwatering shallots, and use it to cook-up a protein or some vegetables, noting that it will "add great flavor" to your food. If you've never thought of this genius cooking tip on your own, get in line. Shallot oil may truly be that secret weapon you've been cooking up and discarding without realizing how many simple recipes you could be using it for, to amp up the flavor and keep your eaters coming back for more while singing praises for your cooking prowess. Okay, we can dream.
Bobby Flay is not alone in this assessment. In fact, according to the blog Vermilion Roots, shallot oil is the "unsung hero" in many Asian dishes. They go on to share that shallot oil is great for stir fry recipes, when making soups, and if you are a fan of Malaysian soy sauce noodles, shallot oil is the je n'ai sais quoi element that makes you want to slurp up their deliciousness with great rapidity (via Vermilion Roots). A blogger at The Curious Nut calls shallot oil "magical" and reveals you can drizzle it over rice or add it to soy sauce to create a dipping sauce. So, the next time you fry up those shallots, remember to save that flavor-infused oil for future use.