Caramelized French Shallot Dip
Avocado, Tobiko, Radish, Pickled French Shallots, Peruvian Fry Bread
Chef Arnaldo Castillo of Tio Lucho’s | Atlanta, GA
“I wanted to caramelize the flavors of the French shallots and build on the flavors of a traditional cream cheese dip by layering Old Bay seasoning with a really flavorful mayonnaise. We add a little more richness with the smashed avocado, and the tobiko is a visual crowd pleaser. We pickled French shallots to break up the richness and the Peruvian fry bread is a great vehicle for this.” — Chef Arnaldo Castillo
Adapted by StarChefs | March 2026 | Photo: Angie Webb
INGREDIENTS
Pickled Shallots:
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 piece star anise
5 French shallots, thinly sliced
Caramelized Shallots:
4 shallots, halved
½ cup canola oil
Caramelized Shallot Dip:
½ cup mayonnaise
3 ounces cream cheese
1 ounces minced red onions
1 ounces minced celery
½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Juice of ½ lime
Chopped cilantro
Sea salt
2 fillets catfish, lightly smoked and picked
To Assemble and Serve:
½ avocado, smashed
Kosher salt
Lime juice
1½ ounces red tobiko
1 radish, thinly sliced
Peruvian fry bread
METHOD
For the Pickled Shallots:
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, vinegar, salt, mustard seeds, and star anise. Add enough water to dissolve sugar. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. While liquid is still hot, add sliced shallots. Let cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Caramelized Shallots:
Heat oven to 300°F. Combine shallots and canola oil in a shallow pan. Cover with aluminum foil and roast until fork-tender. Strain, reserving oil. In a sauté pan over low heat, add reserved oil and confit shallots. Cook until shallots are deeply caramelized. Remove from heat and let cool. Set aside.
For the Caramelized Shallot Dip:
In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, cream cheese, onions, celery, Old Bay seasoning, lime juice, and desired amount cilantro. Fold in picked catfish and desired amount Caramelized Shallots. Season with salt.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a mixing bowl, season avocado with salt and lime juice. Set aside. Spoon Caramelized Shallot Dip onto a serving plate. Top with seasoned avocado, tobiko, sliced radish, and desired amount Pickled Shallots. Serve with Peruvian fry bread.
