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the
clueless cook's handbook: onion conundrums 
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what are shallots?  Shallots
have a brownish thin skin, and somewhat resemble garlic in shape. They’re
about the same size, and bulbous, with different sections connected at the base.
Recipes will frequently specify X number of shallots, which personally, I’ve
always found a little confusing, given that shallots, like garlic, tend to come
bunched; but unlike with garlic, each distinct section is generally considered a
single shallot. When you slice up a shallot, however, you’ll find it has a
purplish tinge and looks more like miniature red onion. The flavor of the
shallot is frequently described as a cross between sweet onion and garlic – it’s
quite distinctive, at any rate, smooth and delicate (especially when cooked).
Shallots are lovely minced up finely for a vinaigrette, and are also frequently
used in upscale French cooking, as well and Thai and Indonesian cuisines.
Like regular old onions, shallots should be peeled (score with a sharp paring knife to loosen the skin) and the root ends discarded (or better yet, saved for stock). more onion basics ... what color onion to use | chopping onions | scallions | shallots | leeks |
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