How to Mince a Shallot

Shallots are members of the onion family that taste like a cross between garlic and red onions. To "mince" a shallot means to chop the shallot into tiny pieces.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Peeling the Shallot

Shallots have a thin, papery skin that should be removed before you mince them.

1
Lay the shallot on your cutting board. Position your knife above the end of the shallot that has the small rootlets.
2
Cut a slit that is deep enough to almost but not quite cut off the end. Leaving the end barely attached will make the shallot easier to peel.

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3
Position the shallot so that the rootlet end is on top and the wide end is on bottom.
4
Grasp the rootlet end and pull it down toward the wide end of the shallot. This should pull off a large section of the peel and leave other parts of the peel showing so that they can be easily grasped.
5
Peel the rest of the shallot and discard the peels.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Mincing the Shallot

Halve the shallot to make the mincing process easier.

1
Cut the top off of the shallot to create a flat end.
2
Flip the shallot over so that the wide flat end that you just cut rests on the bottom. Keeping the wide end down on your cutting board will keep the shallot more stable.
3
Position your knife so that it is parallel to the horizontal width of the shallot and the blade is pointing down.
4
Slice your shallot in half by pushing the knife blade down. You will create two wide, relatively flat halves.
5
Grasp one half of the shallot in your non-dominant hand and lay it on the cutting board with the flat side down.
6
Make a series of vertical cuts starting on the side of the shallot closest to your body. You will create a series of long vertical strips that are about 1/8” (2 mm) wide. Keep the strips close to one another on the cutting board.
7
Make a series of cuts at a 90-degree angle to your vertical cuts that are also about 1/8” (2 mm) wide. The top end of the knife should slice the vertical strip farthest from you, while the bottom end of the knife will slice the strip closest to you. This will allow each vertical strip to be sliced in one single motion.
8
Cut the other half of the shallot into vertical strips and then make additional cuts up and down at a 90-degree angle so that it matches the appearance of the first minced half.
9
Set the minced shallots aside until you are ready to use them. Because the minced pieces are of a uniform size, the minced shallots will cook more evenly.