Infiniment Chocolate Chuao Macarons

Crush fleur de sel with a rolling pin between parchment paper.

Melt chopped chocolate to 45–50°C.

Mix in the crushed fleur de sel.

Spread thinly inside a plastic bag, flatten with weights, and chill for at least 3 hours.

Break into small shards while inside the bag. Store in fridge.

Melt cocoa paste to 45–50°C.

Sift powdered sugar and almond flour together.

Mix food coloring into 110 g egg whites and pour over the dry ingredients.

Boil water and granulated sugar to 118°C.

At 115°C, begin whipping the remaining 110 g egg whites to soft peaks.

Pour the hot syrup over the whipped whites, beating until 50°C.

Incorporate some meringue into melted cocoa paste, then fold into dry ingredients along with remaining cocoa paste.

Pipe 3.5 cm rounds on parchment-lined trays.

Tap trays to flatten slightly and dry shells at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Bake at 180°C for about 12 minutes, venting oven twice.

Melt chopped chocolate to 45–50°C.

Bring heavy cream to a boil.

Pour cream over chocolate in 3 additions, mixing from center outward.

Blend with immersion blender until smooth.

Add room temperature butter in pieces and blend again.

Cover with plastic wrap in contact with ganache and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Transfer to piping bag.

Flip half of the macaron shells.

Pipe ganache onto the flipped shells.

Place a chocolate shard in the center, add more ganache if needed.

Top with the remaining shells and press lightly.

Refrigerate macarons for 24 hours.

Remove from fridge 2 hours before serving.