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Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

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Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Youngerberry » Sat Mar 13, 2021 11:36 pm

There's so many various onions, garlics, shallots, leeks, chives etc that can be combined in so many ways, but which do you find really work well together?

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Renee » Sun Mar 14, 2021 12:58 am

I think that I have only combined shallots with garlic. What are your favourite combinations?

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Earthmaiden » Sun Mar 14, 2021 1:04 am

Sometimes onions and leeks work well together - I've leek & potato soup in mind here. Usually I wouldn't use many of them together because most have a delicate flavour of their own which is the point of choosing the right one for the right job. I consider garlic a separate entity to the onion tasting ones.

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Stokey Sue » Sun Mar 14, 2021 1:20 am

Remember Gino D'Acampo causing a stir by saying onion or garlic never both?

But then he comes from Campania in Southern Italy and apparently it is one of those very strict rules that crop up in Italian regional cooking, I don’t think it would apply even elsewhere in Italy

I might have to think about this overnight

I do increasingly use spring onions in cooking, and I often use echallion (banana) shallots rather than onions, the flavour is good and one is often just the right size when cooking for one

I use a lot of garlic, and often with onion or shallot

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Pampy » Sun Mar 14, 2021 1:23 am

Stokey Sue wrote:But then he comes from Campania in Southern Italy and apparently it is one of those very strict rules that crop up in Italian regional cooking, I don’t think it would apply even elsewhere in Italy


I'm pretty sure he's from Naples.

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Stokey Sue » Sun Mar 14, 2021 1:31 am

Yes, Naples is the big city in Campania, the region around the Bay of Naple, he’s from Torre del Greco, a suburb, the guide toalked about him when we went through it on the bus!

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Youngerberry » Sun Mar 14, 2021 12:43 pm

Earthmaiden wrote:most have a delicate flavour of their own which is the point of choosing the right one for the right job.


This is why I asked the question: I saw a recipe which included leeks and garlic, which I'd never have put together, since I'd be worried that the garlic would detract from the leek.

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Youngerberry » Sun Mar 14, 2021 12:46 pm

Stokey Sue wrote:Remember Gino D'Acampo causing a stir by saying onion or garlic never both?



I don't remember that, but I do remember seeing Antonio Carluccio recounting how when he first came to the UK, he ordered 'Spaghetti Bolognaise', and was so outraged that it contained both garlic AND onion that he complained directly to the chef. The way he said it, it was as if it's so obvious that they shouldn't be combined that it didn't need explaining to us.

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Youngerberry » Sun Mar 14, 2021 12:48 pm

Renee wrote:I think that I have only combined shallots with garlic. What are your favourite combinations?


I don't have a favourite, I tend to always use everything separately. I'll put onion and garlic in something robust like chilli or hot curries.

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Suffs » Sun Mar 14, 2021 12:50 pm

I've just put a roughly chopped onion and two fat garlic cloves (crushed) along with some sprigs of rosemary into the cavity of the chicken I'll be roasting later for today's supper .... please don't tell Gino :oops: ................ ;)

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Stokey Sue » Sun Mar 14, 2021 1:08 pm

I have now thought about it, and unlike Gino I don’t think I have strict rules but I do have guidelines in my head; and of course I follow the recipe and there are different conventions in different cuisines. My OH was from SW France, where they are allium addicts, bung them all in

What was the recipe requiring leek and garlic?

Onion/shallot depending on recipe, definitely shallot in stir fry if available. Often with garlic in both European and Asian food

Leeks I think are tricky, and I think I use them differently when they are present as a main vegetable ingredient (chicken & leek pie, vichyssoise, a pasta bake) when they stand alone and where they are used as a background flavour in soups, stews, stocks where they are often diced with onion, carrot, and celery in a mirepoix and garlic is often added to those dishes.
The exceptions are baby leeks à la Grecque or in vinaigrette, where leeks are dressed with garlic, and some Asian dishes that use baby leek (or spring onion) and garlic

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Earthmaiden » Sun Mar 14, 2021 1:19 pm

Funnily enough, I 've been considering starting a thread about leeks over the past few days. I might still.

I agree that the addition of garlic to leeks might be in a dish containing other things too in order to add flavour but I have no qualms about it, even in leek and potato soup to add depth.

I am not fond of raw onion so would tend to go for the mildest and not too much in dishes where it is called for. A few chopped spring onion tops or chives are often enough. I use those large spring onions (whatever they're called) or shallots in stir fries - and lots of garlic!

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Stokey Sue » Sun Mar 14, 2021 1:28 pm

I use shallots in Thai and Burmese stir fries where they are the usual thing, but green onions in Chinese style dishes

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby ZeroCook » Sun Mar 14, 2021 9:28 pm

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I use as and when needed and wanted which is not much of an answer but basically I don't see a problem in combining alliums if the dish calls for it or the combination seems right. I regularly make Garbure (French country veg soup stew) for eg that uses leeks, onions and garlic and is a great dish. I also have a favourite Italian tomato sauce that uses onions only and is a great sauce, Nam Prik Pao Thai spice paste that uses fried sliced shallots and garlic and is amazo.

In cooking as in life I say never say never and if it works it works :D
.

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby karadekoolaid » Mon Mar 15, 2021 1:44 am

Same here, ZC.
I use onions and garlic in Indian food. Leeks I tend to use on their own. Shallots and garlic, yes. Fried rice (never mind the Asian variety) might have stir-fried onions and spring onions to garnish. Roasted garlic has a deliciously sweet flavour which I like on its own. I see no point in cooking chives - they lose their freshness.
Would I use 4 or 5 of them together? Nope - it´s like drinking a pint of beer which contains bitter, pale ale, porter, brown ale and IPA. You´d never be able to distinguish which one is which. Each allium has a distinct flavour and texture, so I don´t see the point of mixing them all up.
Let me throw you a question back. If a dish asked for cabbage, would you use white cabbage, savoy, kale, cavolo nero and bok choi? I don´t think there´d be any distinct taste there.

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby ZeroCook » Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:30 am

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Interesting question, KDKA. There is a flavour difference between brassicas IMO, but it's also a lot to do with color and texture, though that also applies to alliums to an extent. I often sub cavolo nero for white or savoy cabbage in soups and add it to Chinese dishes along with bok choy, mainly for colour but I am also very partial to cavolo and usually have some around. I also use multiple brassicas in dishes. :D

Disagree with the beer analogy tho. I find I can taste all of the alliums in Garbure for eg. Having said that, I don't think I've used more than three together in a dish.

.

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Badger's Mate » Mon Mar 15, 2021 11:19 am

I tend to use what's available when it's available. Each brings its own flavour. I'm not unduly fussed about what colour my onions are, nor whether they are in combination with other alliums. Spring onion and garlic often appear together in oriental dishes, shallots too sometimes. I grew banana shallots for the first time last year. They will be a regular thing from now on. :thumbsup

I don't use chives much, we have got a lot of Welsh onions that do get used.

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Amyw » Tue Mar 16, 2021 6:31 pm

I would consider garlic slightly seperate to the rest,as I'd use them in conjunction with any of the others . I wouldn't use leeks and onions together really, they'd just seem to counteract too much . I don't really use spring onions in cooking much , more salads and same with shallots

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby Suffs » Sat Mar 20, 2021 2:15 pm

I’ve just realised that our supper dish for this evening has five types of allium in the recipe

https://www.cooked.com/uk/Nathan-Outlaw ... gar-recipe

Shallots, garlic, leeks, spring onions and chives ...

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Re: Which combinations of aliums do you use, and when?

Postby ZeroCook » Sun Mar 21, 2021 11:38 pm

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That looks fantastic, Suffs. How was it?

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