100 Favorite Dishes, No. 100: The Foie Gras Macaron at Oak

Leading up to September's Best of Dallas® 2016 issue, we're sharing (in no particular order) our 100 Favorite Dishes, the Dallas entrées, appetizers and desserts that really stuck with us this year.

Macaron fever has yet to subside in North Texas. Bisous Bisous Patisserie, Kate Weiser Chocolate, Joy Macarons, Haute Sweets, Rush Patisserie, the Hospitality Sweet — this delicate French cookie has spread across DFW like a sweet epidemic, which makes it pretty tough for one of these pastries to stick out.

And yet chef Joel Harrington, who recently officially took the reins at Oak and Quill, has created the kind of macaron that sticks with you. This mac starts with a traditional macaron sprinkled with black salt and filled with a rich, velvety foie gras mousse made with brandy, chili paste, Texas honey, shallots, cream and puréed foie gras. The mousse is topped with a marmalade made with Texas sweet onions slow cooked with salt, orange juice, ancho chili and red port, and the savory cookie is served on top of a powder filled with ginger, brown sugar, smoked paprika and allspice. The resulting macaron, when used as a vessel to pick up the ground spices, balances precariously between indulgent and over-the-top. It's equal parts delicate and powerful; the perfect bite. 

Unfortunately this mac isn't available on Harrington's solid new summer menu, but it may pop up on a tasting menu from time to time. If you're dying to try the foie mousse, pop in for dinner and try Harrington's $31 free-range chicken, served with foie gras mousse and sweet and sour cabbage.