Active Time
30 min
Total Time
5 hr (includes chilling)
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.
Ingredients
Makes about 36 hors doeuvres
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.
•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.
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Reviews (12)
Back to TopThis is the second time I made this, and it is an easy, elegant appetizer that packs a lot of taste. I made one procedural change. The first time I made the gelee, I followed the instructions for lining a pan with plastic wrap. However, I could not get the wrap perfectly smooth so the gelee also was not smooth. That bugged me. This time, I used a small nonstick loafpan, and I put the gelee directly in the loafpan. When it had jelled completely, I used a sharp, thin knife to cut around the edges of the loaf pan and Voila! the gelee slid right right out, smooth as glass.
sharonfrombaltimore
Baltimore
12/25/2020
This is incredible. Use a nice '09 sauterne and definitely spend the money on a nice foie. This is decadent, easy and will wow your guests.
marion7282
12/18/2012
So simple, so luscious - what a treat!!
Anonymous
Harleysville, Pa
1/1/2012
I made this exactly as in recipe and it was superb. The gelee perfectly complimented the rich pate. Everyone loved it!
latter
Calgary
9/26/2011
I made this recipe with Icewine... delicious and added a pinch of fleur de sel on top. The grilled buttered bread is a nice change from croutons and it is crisp and light.This is a keeper and I will certainly make it again.
Anonymous
Montreal, Canada
1/9/2011
I am a professional chef and I made this recipe for my family for Thanksgiving. It's a show-stopper that is super easy and absolutely delicious. I used a foie gras torchon that I bought, and brioche toasts w/o butter.
Anonymous
San Francisco
12/16/2010
I made these for husband's 50th birthday - didn't use foie gras, made my own homemade pate but the sauterne gelee REALLY lifted it from good to great.
LokiNZ
New Zealand
6/16/2010
This was absolutely amazing. If you like foie gras, aren't overly concerned with the cost, and want to provide your guests with a real treat, then make this appetizer. The only thing I might do is to slice the foie gras just a little thinner, as it is quite rich and I think you'd get the same effect. Other than that, I would follow the directions exactly. And... the small offset spatula is really helpful.
Anonymous
San Francisco
12/3/2009
I made this lovely hors d'oeuvres last Thanksgiving and it got nothing but RAVE reviews. Everyone wanted more long after it was gone. I am really looking forward to making and serving it again this Thanksgiving. I think it's become part of our celebration tradition!
donnamhall
Men lo Park, CA
11/8/2009
Made with chicken liver and pork pate instead of foie gras, it was totally delicious and very impressive. There was a lot of leftover gelee, though, and lifting the squares of gelee onto the toasts was not that easy. But it was pretty and worth it. You could probably serve the gelee chopped up in a little bowl, with crackers and pate, and let guests assemble. But that would not be a very refined presentation.
Anonymous
Los Angeles, CA
1/5/2009
This was one of the most decadent and greatest appetizers I've made. The real slices of fois gras versus just a spread made a huge difference, and the entire family LOVED this! Definitely will try this one again, but will try to find a cheaper fois gras next time (it costs almost $200 a pound here in L.A.!) Oh, and the Sauternes is a great jelloexcuse me, geléebase.
Anonymous
West Hollywood
11/29/2008
I thought this Geleé was great. Slices of foie gras was a bit much, though, so I just put a thin spread of foie gras before topping with the gelee. Will definitely make again!
Anonymous
NYC
11/17/2008
