>shrimpy herby macaroons

Tasting menu at WD-50, course #2

>Shrimp and tarragon macaroons

These little balls promptly collapsed in my mouth. The flavor was subtle, but it reminded me of a krupuk, except the texture was that of a very light fluffy macaroon. (How do the 2 macaroon balls -the ones not sitting in a groove- stay on the plate? Glued on with tarragon sauce.)

From Larousse Gastronomique:

The origin of (macaroon) goes back a long way. The recipe originally came from Italy, particularly Venice, during the Renaissance: the name is derived from the Italian maccherone and the Venetian macarone (meaning fine paste), from which macaroni is also derived. Some authorities claim that the recipe for the macaroons of Cormery is the oldest. Macaroons have been made in the monastery there since 791 and legend has it that they used to be made in the shape of monks' navels.