How to Brunoise a Shallot
Back in maybe 2006, I staged for 1 night at this place called Chef Mavro's. It's still one of the best restaurants in Hawaii. What I remember most about that night is being shown how to brunoise a shallot.
What you will need
1 Shallot
(Nutritional facts 30 calories, 0.04 g fat, 7.05 g carbohydrates, 1.05 g protein, undefined mg cholesterol, 5 mg sodium)How to cook
1
First make sure the roots are clean so you don't get dirt on your cutting board. On the stem side of the shallot (opposite the roots), slice away enough of the tip to expose the shallot under the skin.
2
Like an onion, peel away that papery skin. In many cases, you will find that shallots are made up of multiple bulbs. You can see two sections in this case. Clear away the skin on all of the bulbs.
3
Now, slice a bulb in half through the exposed face. Most shallot bulbs will be D-shaped when viewed from the stem side. Slice parallel to the flat side of the D. Place the shallots on the freshly cut side.
4
A sharp knife is important here. With the point of your knife directed at the root side, slice as finely as possible, leaving the slices connected at the root end. That is, don't allow the point of the knife to extend beyond the back of the shallot.
5
Now, with your blade parallel to your cutting board, carefully slice perpendicular to your previous cuts. Again, don't slice through the back of the shallot. You want the fine strips of shallot to remain connected to the root end so that they'll be easier to slice in the next step. Watch those fingers.
6
This is the final cut. Carefully slice parallel to the open face as finely as possible.
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