Shallots are grown across 370 acres of light, sandy soils in eastern England namely; Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire and Bedfordshire. The shallot growing year starts at the end of the February in the UK, as soon as the soil starts to warm up and the shallots are harvested throughout July and August.
To celebrate the shallot why not give this recipe a go!
Serves: 6
You’ll need:
- 1 kg shallots, chopped
- 175g butter
- 25g garlic
- 20g thyme
- 10g sugar
- 20g salt
- 1.75ltrs stock
- 250ml double cream
For the watercress pesto:
- 150g watercress
- 100ml olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon of grated Parmesan or a Welsh hard cheese
- Salt and pepper
What next?
- Fry the shallots gently in the butter for 5-10 minutes, add the chopped garlic, thyme, sugar and salt.
- Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, cook for 5-10 minutes then add the double cream.
- Bring back to the boil then blitz in a blender, pass through a fine sieve, check seasoning and serve.
- For the watercress pesto, put all the ingredients into a blender and buzz. Drizzle a little pesto onto the soup before serving.
This recipe was devised by Chef Paul Collins. For more recipes visit: UKshallot.com
