Asian Pear Salad With Crispy Shallots

Subtly sweet and extremely crunchy, Asian pears are an underutilized but deeply effective salad ingredient. Cut into batons, they look a bit like potatoes destined for the fryer, but they soak up a bright vinaigrette with ease and play very nicely with chiles and herbs. If you can’t find Asian pears, crisp apples or other varieties of underripe pears would make a great alternative. Also, store-bought crispy shallots work in a pinch if you’d rather not fry your own.