Balsamic Pickled Shallots Recipes

Steps:

• Separate the garlic into individual cloves. Peel each garlic clove, leaving it whole.
• Mix the salt and the cold water together in a large bowl until the salt has dissolved, making a brine solution.
• Place the onions and garlic in the brine and leave for 12 hours. Rinse and pat dry.
• Place the onions and garlic, mixed together, in sterilised bottles or jars.
• In a non-reactive pan, heat together the balsamic vinegar, sugar, bay leaf and spices and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain and cool.
• Pour the spiced vinegar over the onions and garlic covering them completely. Cover the bottles or jars and leave for 3 months before using.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Pour boiling water over the shallots to cover them, leave for 5 mins, then drain and peel. Halve any larger shallots. Tip into a shallow ovenproof dish and add all the other ingredients except the olives, plus a little salt and pepper. Mix well.
• Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 mins, stirring halfway through and adding the olives.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put the beetroot in a roasting tin and toss through the oil and some seasoning. Roast for 15 mins.
• Toss the shallots and thyme with the beetroot, and roast for 40-45 mins until the veg are tender and starting to caramelise around the edges. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and return to the oven for 3-5 mins until sticky and syrupy. Scatter with thyme leaves to serve.

Steps:

• The day before pickling, put the shallots in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave to cool, then drain and peel away the skins and trim the root ends.
• In a large bowl, mix the coarse crystal sea salt with 300ml boiling water and let it dissolve to make a brining solution. Add 1.2 litres cold water, then the shallots. Cover and leave to soak overnight. The next day, drain, rinse then drain again. Pack the shallots into sterilised jars (see tip below).
• To make the pickling vinegar, put the whole spices in a medium saucepan. Toast over a low heat until they begin to smell aromatic. Add the dried chilli flakes last, as these can easily catch.
• Add the bay, pour in all of the vinegar and sugar, let it dissolve, and bring to a simmer.
• Pour the hot vinegar over the shallots and seal while hot. Ready to eat in 1 month, or longer, if you like.