How to cut shallots with  

"Shallots can be a little tricky because under the skin you can’t be certain if there’s one or two shallot bulbs. Go ahead and cut the shallot in half through the root. It will be easier to peel the skin off that way. Once you peel off the outer layer of skin, if you notice another layer of skin inside the shallot that just means there were two bulbs. Go ahead and separate the bulbs and remove any additional skin, and then lay the shallot on a flat surface. Now you can treat the shallot like an onion and slice it horizontally and vertically before chopping."