Shallot Cream

Three ingredients, infinite possibilities

I harvested my shallots recently, and while most of them are drying out on the front porch I brought some into the kitchen to play with—including their fresh greens, which look quite a lot like scallions but which unsurprisingly have a different aromatic profile. I used those in a fermentation project that I’ll be writing about at the other place soon. It’s a fun one.

I love shallots, since their neither-onion-nor-garlic-yet-somehow-both flavor brings so much to any party they’re invited to. And not for nothing, they store far better than either onions or garlic. Properly cured, they’re bulletproof for well over a year: just a marvelous resource to have in the pantry. Every spring I take all the bulbs from the previous year that I haven’t eaten and plant them. Hakuna matata.

This delightful preparation arose as I contemplated a chanterelle pizza that I wanted to make, thinking about what sort of dairy accompaniment the mushrooms would want—so the result would present as pizza without being overwhelmed by mozzarella. Chanterelles have a subtle flavor, so I didn’t want to bury them in cheese but did want some dairy richness for that classic white pie vibe.

Enter this concoction, which I’m annoyed that I didn’t invent years ago. It’s that good, and super versatile in just about anything savory you can imagine. It takes about half an hour to make, and manages to supply three vital flavors all at the same time: fatty richness, allium intensity, and serious umami. It killed on the pizza, was instrumental in a chowder, and would elevate pretty much anything you use it in.