So simple, yet so good.

Part of cooking is following instructions to create something you can be proud to serve your friends and family. The other part is just experimenting with what you’ve got on hand and making something good taste great. And it should be noted that the B.L.T Project loves makings great tasting things.

There will be days where you’re two bites into that sandwich/ falafel/ slice of pizza/ bowl of soup-noodles-pasta, and you stop chewing. Not because whatever you’re eating tastes bad, but because it feels as if something missing.

There will be times where you’ve followed recipes right down to the last gram of salt only to find that it’s still lacking a certain “oomph”.

So what exactly is this “missing ingredient” that you keep reading about? Well, the French call it “je ne sais quoi” but the B.L.T. Project calls it Fried Shallots!

You can lower your eyebrows now. Yes, not everyone is a fan of onions. Yes, cooking these little morsels of crispy goodness with make your eyes tear up a little. And yes, fried shallots don’t go well with every dish but for the ones that do pair nicely, you’re in for a special treat.



Fried Shallots

Ingredients:

- One (1) bag of small shallots (about 17-20 bulbs)
- Enough oil to cover a frying pan (Canola oil works well)

Makes about 1 cup



1. Cut off the tip and the bottom of each bulb for easy removal of the skin.



2. With a sharp knife, (or if you've got really long finger nails) peel off the remaining skin.



3. Run the shallots under some cold water for about two minutes. This will minimize the tears when it comes to cutting. Meanwhile, set frying pan at medium heat with enough oil to fill one quarter of the pan's volume.



4. Cut shallots lengthwise into 2mm thick slices. (Perfection isn't important, just aim for consistently sized slices as if helps for even cooking)





5. Once the oil is heat, slowly add in the shallots. Fry until golden brown and stir occasionally. Cooking times will vary stove top to stove top but the average time so far has been 12 minutes.



6. Reduce the heat as the shallots are turning a golden brown and remove with a slotted spoon or a ladle and place onto a paper towel-covered plate to remove excess oil.



Savor these shallots by throwing ‘em in a ham and swiss sandwich when you’re running low on onion buns. Or sprinkle some on your favourite soup for some added texture. Maybe toss them onto a pita smothered in humus for light snack. Be sure to keep the shallots in an airtight container for storage and add them to just about any dish from some flavour on demand.