Every canning season, I like to experiment with new recipes, try new ingredients and decide on a new favourite. In 2015, my favourite is shallot confiture... silky, smooth and so amazing!
I've always avoided finicky preparations but this dish is well worth it. Trimming five pounds of shallots can be tedious, (I triple this recipe) but do it in front of the television and the time flies by. From there, this preserve is easy and spread over three or four days. The result is fabulous!
This recipes makes about 3 1/2 cups.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs shallots, peeled with root end intact
1 cup sea salt
4 cups cider vinegar
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp whole cloves
2 cardamom pods, crushed
1 strip lemon zest
1 stick cinnamon
3-4 dried chiles, crushed
pinch of ground chili
Directions:
Place the shallots in a nonmetallic bowl, sprinkle with the salt and add enough water to cover, stirring carefully to dissolve the salt. Place a plate over the top to keep the shallots submerged. Leave for one day in a cool place.
Drain and rinse the shallots thoroughly and dry on paper towels. Pour the vinegar into a large saucepan and stir in the sugar. Place the spices, except the ground child, on a square of cheesecloth and tie into a bag. Add to the pan with the ground child and heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Raise the heat, and boil fairly vigorously for ten minutes. Skim the surface to remove impurities.
Add the shallots and simmer very gently for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and leave overnight.
The next day, slowly bring the shallots to a boil, then simmer gently for another 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and leave overnight. The next day, slowly bring the shallots to a boil once more, then simmer gently until they are golden brown and translucent.
Pack into warm, clean, dry jars. Using a chopstick remove any air pockets. Cover, seal and process for 15 minutes. Wait two months before eating. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment