100 Favorite Dishes, No. 22: The Moth Balls at Meddlesome Moth

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. On Meddlesome Moth's menu, the Moth Balls are a mystery, described only as "Our shout-out to the Spotted Pig...

By Beth Rankin

August 22, 2016

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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.

On Meddlesome Moth's menu, the Moth Balls are a mystery, described only as "Our shout-out to the Spotted Pig of NYC." Don't let the vague description prevent you from trying one of the best bar snacks in Dallas.

A take on Spotted Pig's Ricotta Gnudi, Moth's balls are house-made ricotta with nutmeg, salt and pepper formed into balls and buried in semolina. The moisture from the cheese forms a pasta-like shell around the exterior. They're cooked in boiling water and covered with a rich cream sauce made with shallot, herbs, peppercorn, Parmesan cheese, truffle oil and thickened with a brown butter roux. A little basil pesto is sprinkled on top with fresh-grated nutmeg, more Parmesan cheese and glorious fried sage leaves, which give the dish an earthy crunch.

Creamy, fatty, cheesey, herbaceous — this is the most indulgent grown-up bar snack around. Split it with a friend if you dare — with five Moth Balls in every serving, you're guaranteed to fight to the death over that fifth ball of magic.

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Beth Rankin is an Ohio native and Cicerone-certified beer server who specializes in social media, food and drink, travel and news reporting. Her belief system revolves around the significance of Topo Chico, the refusal to eat crawfish out of season and the importance of local and regional foodways.

Contact: Beth Rankin

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