American Cooking: Arcadia and Creole: Recipes

Introductory Notes - Section 1 of 1 (1 )

Scallions and Shallots: A Question of Names

The common names of vegetables do not always follow strict botanical terminology. Fresh chicory leaves, for example, are called curly endive, although the two plants are only cousins, and broad-leaved endive is known as escarole. But few kitchen plants can match the terminological confusion over the common scallion-especially in Louisiana.

The vegetable that most cooks call a scallion may be any of three different kinds of onion: a green onion, a bunching onion or a green shallot. Green onions are the shoots of any white onion, harvested before the onion bulb has formed; they grow as individual plants and would, if left in the field to mature and dry, develop large white or yellow globes. (Though they are now harvested year round, they are still sometimes called "spring" onions). Bunching onions grow in clusters on enlarged root bases. They do not develop into globes and are eaten only as scallions. Shallots arc still another member of the onion family. Like bunching, onions, they grow in clusters, with anywhere from 5 to 40 bulbs on a single root. Each bulb sends up a shoot and, when the young bulbs are separated for marketing, they have the same white elongated bases and green tops that scallion’s do, and a similarly pungent flavor. When shallots are left in the ground to mature and dry, the bulbs swell and separate somewhat. At this stage, they look like large colorful garlic cloves, but their flavor is far milder than that of garlic.

In Louisiana, which produces about 90 per cent of the shallots grown in the United States, the shallot crop is sold and used in its green form. For this reason, perhaps, a special problem of terminology has developed there. Since the green shallot is the most readily available form of scallion in Louisiana, the term scallion is usually restricted to that vegetable in Creole and Acadian cooking. Elsewhere in the United States, the term scallion usually refers to a green or bunching onion, while a shallot is the mature vegetable, usually reddish brown, clove-shaped and dried. (Most of these mature shallots are grown in New Jersey and New York or imported from France or Mexico. )

Fortunately, the average cook need not concern herself with this bewildering cluster of names. In their green forms, onions and shallots taste much alike and play identical roles in cooking; in this book, the term scallion is correctly used to refer to the green forms of these vegetables, and a cook can use whatever is sold under that name at their grocer's.

Techniques for Home Canning

To ensure consistent results in home canning, use standard canning jars or jelly glasses with matching lids. Examine each jar or glass carefully and discard those with loose covers and those with cracked or chipped edges. An airtight seal is essential to prevent food spoilage.

Wash the jars, glasses, lids and rubber rings in hot soapy water and rinse them in scalding water. Place them in a large deep pot and pour in enough hot water to cover them completely. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn off the heat while you finish cooking the food that you plan to can. The jars or glasses must be hot when they are filled. (If you have a dishwasher with a sanitizing cycle, simply run the, jars, glasses, lids and rings through the cycle, using your usual dishwashing powder, and leave them in the closed machine until you are ready to can.)

To prepare for sealing the glasses, grate a 4-ounce bar of paraffin into the top of a double boiler (preferably one with a pouring spout), and melt the paraffin over hot water.

When the food is ready for canning, lift the jars or glasses from the pot or dishwasher with tongs and stand them upright on a level surface. Leave the lids and rings in the pot (or dishwasher) until you are ready to use them. Fill and seal the jars one at a time, filling each jar to within 1/8 inch of the top or each glass to within 1/2 inch of the top. Each jar should be sealed quickly and tightly with its ring and lid. (If there is not enough food to fill the last jar or glass completely, do not attempt to seal it. Refrigerate and use within the next week.)

The jelly glasses also should be sealed at once. Pour a single thin layer of hot paraffin over the surface of the jelly, making sure it covers the jelly completely and touches the glass on all sides. If air bubbles appear on the paraffin, prick them immediately with the tip of a knife. Let the glasses rest until the paraffin cools and hardens, then cover with metal lids.

If a recipe calls for finishing the preserving process with a water bath, place the filled and sealed jars side by side on a rack in a canner or other deep large pot. Pour in enough hot (not boiling) water to cover the jars by at least 1 inch, securely cover the pot with its lid, and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Boil for the time recommended in the particular recipe. Then, with tongs, remove the jars from the pot and let them cool at room temperature for about 12 hours. Test the seal by pressing the center of each lid with your forefinger. If the inner lid remains in place, unscrew the outer ring, leaving the seal intact. Store the jar upright in a cool, dry, dark spot. If the lid moves at all, the jar is not properly sealed; in that event, refrigerate and serve the food within a week.

For additional information on canning, see "How to Make Jellies, Jams and Preserves at Home," USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No.56, and "Making Pickles and Relishes at Home," USDA Home and Garden Bulletin No. 92. These bulletins cost 15 cents each and can be ordered from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

How to Handle Hot Chilies

Hot chilies are cousins to the familiar green bell peppers, but they require special handling. Their volatile oils may make your skin tingle and your eyes burn. While working with the chilies, wear rubber gloves if you can and be careful not to touch your face. To prepare chilies, rinse them clean under cold running water. (Hot water may cause fumes to rise from dried chilies, and even these fumes can irritate your nose and eyes.) Cut or break off the stems if you wish to leave the seeds (the hottest parts of chilies) in the pods. If a chili is to be seeded, pull out the stem and the seeds with your gloved fingers. In most cases the ribs inside are thin, but if they seem thick and fleshy you may cut them out with a small sharp knife. Follow the instructions in the recipes for slicing or chopping chilies. After handling hot chilies it is essential that you wash your hands and gloves thoroughly with soap and water.