200g shallots, carefully peeled and halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons brown sugar
A pinch of salt
1 tablespoon thyme, finely chopped, plus a few whole sprigs
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Heat oven to 200° C. Put olive oil in an ovenproof skillet. (Alternatively, you can brown the shallots in whatever pan you like, and then transfer them into a baking dish). Add the brown sugar, mix to just combine, then add shallots, cut-side down if you've halved any. Brown over medium heat for 10 minutes, flipping once halfway through, or as soon as a beautiful brown crust has developed on the first side. Take the pan off of the heat, and add everything else -- salt, thyme, sherry, vinegar -- shake the pan a bit, and then cover with foil and roast in the oven until completely cooked through. Depending on the size of your shallots, this can take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes -- test with a knife every 5 minutes beginning at the 25-minute mark. Serve warm.
Good quality, reasonable variety and local where possible. It's nice knowing a week in advance what's going to be in the box, so that meals can be planned and to avoid waste. No problems with substitutions.
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