Spiced Pickled Shallots Recipes

Steps:

• For the spiced butter: Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Add the harissa and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, cover and let sit 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
• For the pickled saffron shallots: Bring the vinegar, sugar, salt and saffron to a boil in a small saucepan set over medium heat; remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Put the shallots in a small bowl, pour the vinegar mixture over, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
• For the aioli: Combine the mayonnaise, harissa, smoked paprika, piquillo peppers, anchovy and lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
• For the crispy prosciutto: Heat the oil in a small saute pan over medium heat until it shimmers. Add one slice of the prosciutto at a time to the pan and cook until just crisp. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
• For the burgers: Combine the chuck and fat in a meat grinder and grind coarsely into a large bowl (or put the 80/20 beef into a large bowl). Mix in some salt and pepper. Divide the meat into 4 equal patties.
• Heat a cast-iron pan over high heat until smoking. Add the canola oil and burgers and cook until the bottoms are golden brown and a crust has formed, about 4 minutes. Flip over and begin brushing and basting with the spiced butter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and the meat is cooked to medium, another 4 minutes. Top the burgers with the fontina, add a little water to the pan, cover quickly and cook until the cheese is completely melted, about 1 minute.
• Spread some aioli on the top and bottom buns. Place a burger on each bottom bun, top with some of the pickled shallots, followed by a slice of crispy prosciutto and some arugula. Add the top buns and serve.

Steps:

• Combine the white vinegar, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the onions and shallots to a pint jar and pour the liquid over the top. Let cool completely. Refrigerate up to 1 week.

Steps:

• Put the shallots in a small heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes to loosen the skins. Pour out the hot water, then refill the bowl with cold water to quickly cool the shallots. Drain in a colander.
• Using a paring knife, cut off a bit of the stem end of a shallot. Working from the stem end, peel away the outer skin and dry-looking layers underneath. Separate any twin bulbs to fully remove the skin. Finally, cut away the root end, taking care to leave enough so the shallot won't fall apart. Repeat with the remaining shallots.
• In the bowl that held the shallots, stir the salt into 1 cup warm water until dissolved. Return the peeled shallots to the bowl. Let stand at room temperature, loosely covered, at least overnight or up to 24 hours to remove some of their harshness.
• Drain the shallots and rinse well under cold running water. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and vinegar and bring to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the shallots. When the liquid returns to a simmer, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shallots to a pint jar. Pour in the hot brine to the rim. Weigh down the shallots with a small dish if they bob up. Let cool completely, uncovered, then cap and refrigerate.
• Allow the shallots to mature for 5 days before serving (halve bigger ones, if you like). They will keep refrigerated for several weeks, though they are likely to be long gone by then.