These caramelized shallots from Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, are made by roasting shallots low and slow in butter, sugar, and vinegar until softened and sweet and tangy. An exceptional and impressive side dish for any occasion.
Shallots take on a dulcet, docile personality when slowly coaxed to caramelized. And not only are they easy to make and charming on the table, they’re easygoing in terms of playing nicely with all manner of main courses. Including your Thanksgiving turkey as well as your Tuesday night roast.–Renee Schettler
☞ Contents
Barefoot Contessa Caramelized Shallots
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (3 oz) unsalted butter
- 2 pounds shallots peeled*, roots intact
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons really good red wine vinegar (or substitute sherry vinegar)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- In a 12-inch (30-cm) ovenproof sauté pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shallots and sugar and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss well. Place the pan or skillet in the oven and roast until the shallots are tender, 15 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots. Immediately transfer the shallots to a platter or serving dish. (Don’t worry about the variance in cooking temperature, if the shallots are done before the rest of dinner, transfer them to a plate, hold at room temperature, and then slide them back into the oven for just a few minutes to warm.)
- Just before serving, season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with parsley.
Notes
*What you need to know about how to demurely disrobe shallots
Shallots are, thankfully, far easier to disrobe from their clingy papery skins than other diminutive alliums, such as pearl onions. Still, we won’t say no to shortcuts when it comes to stripping shallots, especially when in the throes of dinner party prep. So we want to share what the lovely Barefoot Contessa has to say on the topic. She drops whole unpeeled shallots in a pot of boiling water for just shy of a minute, then drains them. The skins can then slip off with the utmost of ease. Furthermore, the good Contessa continues, you can peel the shallots hours in advance and later, when you’re juggling everything else, simply give them a quick sauté before tossing them in the oven. How easy is that?Show Nutrition
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Originally published November 10, 2019
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Hi, l love this recipe and have made it many times. My daughter is now vegan and I’m wondering if l can use margarine or vegan butter. Thanks
Thanks, Stacey! We love these too! We haven’t tested them with vegan butter but it should work well as a substitute. If you try it, please do let us know how they turn out.
Can these be made ahead of time a few days and warmed up?
Elaine, that should be fine. Perhaps cook them a little less, then finish them off later.
Thank you, Beth!
Could you please tell me if you cut the roots off before serving?
Hi Charlie, I think that it is truly a personal preference. The shallots will keep their shape better if the roots are intact.
Thanks for this recipe. I was going to make a Zinfandel glazed shallots (which I’ve made before) but it is a fussy recipe and requires a watchful eye on the finishing–which is hard when cooking for a crowd. I found this receipt here, which offered cooking fuss simplification. I made some substitutions: Reduced sugar to 1 tablespoon; omitted vinegar, but added wine (about 1/3 cup) to shallots after stove-top browning and before going into a covered dish into the oven. These were easy to fit into the cooking schedule, were beautifully roasted and rich, and they were a surprise and delight to my guests. Served with a standing rib roast, but it would pair well with any roasted meat. Offers a lovely visual, too, on the plate.
You are more than welcome, Leisa. I love this recipe. I’ve made it many times but never served it with a standing rib roast. And wouldn’t you know it, that’s what I served this Christmas and didn’t even think of making this. Next time. And thanks for the reminder.