Shallots Bunch

The unsung hero of the kitchen — and once you start keeping shallots in the fridge, you'll wonder how you ever cooked without them. Mild, fresh and versatile, they add a gentle onion flavour without the sharpness of a brown onion, and they work raw or cooked equally well.

Scatter them over a bowl of ramen or laksa, fold through a potato salad, stir into scrambled eggs, toss over a stir-fry at the last minute, or use the white ends as you would a spring onion and the green tops as a fresh herb. They do the work of two ingredients in one bunch.

Available year-round with consistently good quality — there's no season to wait for and no month to avoid. Look for bright green tops and a firm white base and you've got a fresh bunch worth taking home. One of the best value buys in the whole produce section.