Basic Vegetable Prep for Onions, Garlic, Shallots
Onions
Storing - Store onions at cool room temperature and away from light.
Slicing - Sliced with the grain (pole to pole), onions retain more shape and become a more significant component of a dish.
Dicing and Mincing - A sharp knife and a good technique make chopping onions quick, easy, and even tear-free.
1 Using a chef's knife, halve the onion pole to pole. Lop off the tops of each half, leaving the root and intact, and peel the onion.
2 Make horizontal cuts, starting with the heel of the blade and carefully pulling the knife toward you, without cutting through the root end.
3 Using the tip of the knife, make several vertical cuts, dragging the knife toward you and making sure to keep the tip against the board.
4 Slice across the lengthwise cuts, using the knuckles as a guide for the knife while holding the onion with your fingertips.
Yield - chopped onion:
Small (about 2 inches in diameter) 1/2 cup
Medium (about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter) 1 cup
Large (about 4 inches in diameter) 2cups
Garlic
Buying - Buy loose garlic. Don't buy heads that feel spongy or have skins where cloves used to reside.
Storing - Keep unpeeled garlic heads and cloves in a cool, dry, pantry space away from direct sunlight.
Prepping - Remove any green sprout from the center of the clove before cooking. It contains strong-tasting compounds that can add bitterness to food. Use a garlic press to mince cloves. In the test kitchen, we've found that a good press can break down the cloves more finely and evenly (and far faster) than the average cook wielding a knife, which means better distribution of garlic flavor throughout a dish.
The Only Way to Skin a Clove - Forget trying to painstakingly peel skin off garlic. Crush the clove with the side of a chef's knife. The skin will loosen for easy removal.
Make (Garlic) Paste - Here's an easy way to turn minced garlic into a smooth puree for applications such as aioli or pesto, where you want the garlic texture to be as unobtrusive as possible.
1 Sprinkle minced garlic with a coarse salt such as kosher
2 Repeatedly drag the side of a chef's knife over the mixture until all the garlic turns into a smooth paste
Yield - minced garlic:
Medium head (about 2 1/2 inches across) 2 Tbs
Small clove 1/2 tsp
Medium clove 1 tsp
Large clove 2 tsp
Extra-large clove 1 Tbs
Shallots
When to Use - Shallots have a more mild and delicate flavor than onions--a difference accentuated by cooking. A finely minced shallot will also melt away during cooking until its texture is all but indiscernible. Choose shallots when you want silky texture and onion flavor to meld into the mix.
Substitutes - Scallions (white part only) or red onion
Mincing
1 Place the peeled shallot flat-side down on a work surface and make closely spaced vertical cuts through it, leaving the root end intact.
2 Make 2 or 3 horizontal cuts through the shallot
3 Thinly slice the shallot crosswise, creating a fine mince.
Yield - minced shallot:
Medium 3 Tbs
View line-by-line Nutrition Insights™: Discover which ingredients contribute the calories/sodium/etc.
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Serving Size: 1 Serving (268g) | ||
Recipe Makes: Servings | ||
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Calories: 353 | ||
Calories from Fat: 172 (49%) | ||
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Amt Per Serving | % DV | |
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Total Fat 19.1g | 25 % | |
Saturated Fat 11.6g | 58 % | |
Monounsaturated Fat 5.9g | ||
Polyunsanturated Fat 0.6g | ||
Cholesterol 73.1mg | 22 % | |
Sodium 269.3mg | 9 % | |
Potassium 819.4mg | 22 % | |
Total Carbohydrate 28.8g | 8 % | |
Dietary Fiber 0.1g | 0 % | |
Sugars, other 28.7g | ||
Protein 17.8g | 25 % | |
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition. |
Calories per serving: 353
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