Shallots are often substituted in recipes for white onions, however there are some subtle differences. Shallots are slightly smaller than onions and have a stretched-oval shape; when it comes to the taste they have a more delicate sweet flavour, which can mellow once the shallot has been cooked.

Tuck into this inspiring collection of shallot recipes, including Bruno Loubet's shallot tarte Tatins, Mark Dodson's beef fillet with roasted shallots, and cockles cooked in white wine with shallots and pancetta from Shaun Rankin.