Shallot Confit with Cabernet Sauvignon

I wanted to go in a bit of a new direction with my preserves this week, something with an intended savory application.

The grape jelly I made last week had me in the mood for wine and, so, I started there.

I worked at a high-end French restaurant in Madison some years back and we made a wonderful Shallot Confit that we served with our hanger steak and it immediately popped into my head once I sat down to make a plan.

Why not translate that recipe into a preserve? Besides, confit is French for “to preserve.”

The basic plan for the confit is to first julienne the shallots very finely.

Let me just say that I LOVE julienning shallots and onions. Especially with a gorgeous, extremely sharp Japanese chef’s knife.

I am now resisting the very strong urge to go to my kitchen and start cutting things.

I then caramelize the shallots completely.

Then, I deglaze with wine, add sugar, lemon juice, red wine vinegar and sugar-free pectin (important for a preserve with savory applications).

Here’s the result.

I think it would be delicious with steak, terrines and blue cheeses.