I always have Crispy Fried Shallots in my pantry. Sometimes referred to as Crispy Asian shallots, they’re salty, oily, crunchy, cheap, and a frequent player in my Asian recipes. So this is a little “about” page in case you’re new to it!
What are Crispy Fried Shallots?
Crispy Fried Shallots – or Crispy Asian Shallots – are a heavily used pantry staple in my world. It’s a store bought Asian garnish that’s widely available these days in the Asian aisle of grocery stores, but cheaper in Asian stores (~ half price!).
I use it frequently as a garnish in all things Asian, from soups to salads, poke bowls to curries. Instant crunch and salt!
They’re also a useful substitute for recipes that call for deep fried onion or similar (like Biryani, Green Bean Casserole).
What they are – It’s simply slices of eschallots – called shallots in the US (hence the product name) – which are fried until crispy then seasoned with salt.
It comes in jars and packets – here’s a common brand at large grocery stores in Australia.
Here’s another common brand you find at grocery stores:
What I use them for
Think of Crispy Fried Shallots as the Asian equivalent of croutons. They add crunch, pops of salt and make everything better!
I use it regularly because it’s an effortless way to finish a dish, adding texture and extra flavour simply by opening a jar. Sometimes I use a little sprinkle if it’s just adding a little extra to a dish. Other times, I will be extremely generous. Just sprinkle until you’re happy!
Here’s some examples of the variety of dishes I use it in. This is a Spicy Asian Zucchini finished with a good shower of Crispy Fried Shallots.
And here’s a Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup and a Yellow Curry, both sprinkled with crispy shallots:
And a beef soba noodle dish and salmon salad:
And one more example – a quick and easy Chinese Rice Soup!
Anyway, there you have it. I use it so frequently I found myself writing the same thing over and over in recipes. So I decided it might be handy to do a little About post I could link to.
Hope you found it useful! – Nagi x
You might also find my Asian pantry essentials useful
There are 6 basic sauces that are used for over 45 recipes. Find the list here!
Crispy fried shallots. A disaster has struck me, Nagi. In this part of France, thry aren’t for sale ANYWHERE! I could drive 100km to Limoges to get fried onions, but not a jar of the shallots is to be found.
I may have to make my own, quel horreur!!!!!!
Fry fry fry!!! 🙂 Or – use croutons / pangrattato. Just something crunchy oily salty! N x
I did, and even found a recipe that was pretty painless too.
When next we go shopping I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of hundred grams of shallots (which is the CORRECT English name for the French “échalottes” BTW) fall into my shopping bag.
I love reading your newsletter and have learnt a lot about different Asian ingredients. But what I especially like are the photos you share of the actual product in a bottle/packet etc. It makes it so much easier to find in an Asian grocery store. Pats for Dozer 🐶 too