Recipe notes: Fried shallots

Fried shallots are a delicious soup topper, in salads, or just as a snack.

What you need

• A mandolin
• Candy or frying thermometer
• Wide pan, such as a dutch oven.
• 6-8 shallots, depending on size, is probably similar to a can of premade. Larger shallots are easier to cut. Plan on extras if you need to practice, figure out your timing and temp, and just to snack on while cooking.
• Canola or similar oil with a high smoke point

Getting prepared

1. Preheat oil to 350 to 360 degrees. This is medium/4 on my stove. Plan on 10 minutes of preheat, depending on the pan you use, if you don't have a thermometer.
2. Cut shallots using a mandolin. Use the guard or BE VERY CAREFUL. The goal is to get very thin rings. Don't try to use every scrap, or you could lose a finger.

Cooking

1. Ensure oil is preheated. A thermometer is basically required to get this right, but you can test the oil temperature by tossing a one inch bread cube in for one minute. It should come out lightly brown and crisp. If it is dark brown or hard, the oil is too hot. If it is pale or not crisp, the oil is too cool.
2. Fill pan with sliced shallots, but do not overfill. Tiny batches take about 6 minutes. Large batches can take as long as 15.
3. Keep the oil temperature between 350 and 360. If the temperature drops too much, you have put in too many shallots or don't have enough oil.
4. Finished shallots will be golden in color. They will crisp up when cool.