These little stacks of toasted and buttered bread, foie gras terrine, and Sauternes gelée—crisp, creamy, cool—will make you swoon and sigh. They provide such a rich reward for so simple an assembly: The only thing you make from scratch is the gelée; its like a sip of dessert wine on top of this extraordinary first bite.
•Gelée can be chilled up to 2 days.
•Foie-gras-and-gelée stacks can be chilled up to 1 day.
•Bread can be buttered and cut (but not baked) 2 hours ahead and chilled, covered with plastic wrap.
Recipe information
Total Time
5 hr (includes chilling)
Yield
Makes about 36 hors doeuvres
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Lightly oil a shallow 8-inch square baking dish or pan and line bottom and sides with a sheet of plastic wrap.
Step 2
Bring Sauternes and sugar to a boil in a small heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
Step 3
Meanwhile, sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl and let soften 1 minute. Pour hot wine over gelatin mixture, then stir until gelatin has dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
Step 4
Pour wine-gelatin mixture into lined dish and chill, covered, until set, at least 4 hours.
Step 5
Lift gelée out of dish using plastic wrap and transfer to a cutting board. Cut gelée into 3/4-inch squares (without cutting through plastic).
Step 6
Cut foie gras into 1-inch squares (about 1/4 inch thick). Transfer squares with offset spatula to a tray lined with plastic wrap, then top each with a square of gelée (you will have extra gelée). Chill, covered with plastic wrap, until ready to serve.
Step 7
Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in upper third.
Step 8
Trim crusts from bread, then brush with butter and cut 6 (1 1/4-inch) squares from each slice. Arrange in a 4-sided sheet pan and bake until golden, about 6 minutes.
Step 9
Top toasts with foie-gras-and-gelée stacks.
