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; it’s like a sip of dessert wine on top of this extraordinary first bite.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 36 hors d’oeuvres

　　1 cup Sauternes or other white dessert wine

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-ounce envelope)

　　2 tablespoons water

　　1 (1-inch-thick) slice of foie gras terrine (6 ounces; not páté or mousse) or a 6 1/2-ounces block

　　6 (1/2-inch-thick) slices firm white bread (pullman loaf or firm sandwich bread)

　　1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

　　Equipment: a small offset spatula

　　

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.

　　Cooks’ notes:

　　•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.