Sliders are usually the filler on a party table — the thing people eat while looking for something better. These are the something better. The trick is one move: a chilled slice of foie gras laid on the hot patty at the very last second, so it softens at the edges and starts to melt into the beef without disappearing. One bite in, your guests will go quiet. That’s the correct response.

The Comtesse du Barry duck foie gras bloc, 210 g is the party size — it slices into twelve neat rounds, especially if you let the foie gras slicer do it. Straight, clean, no smeared knife, no arguments about whose slice was bigger.

What you need

12 mini brioche slider buns
500 g good beef mince
Fine salt and black pepper
2 large brown onions, finely sliced
25 g butter, plus 1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown sugar and a splash of balsamic vinegar
1 x 210 g duck foie gras bloc, well chilled
A small handful of rocket leaves, optional

Method

Start the onions: cook them low and slow in the butter and oil with a pinch of salt for 25–30 minutes, adding the sugar and balsamic near the end, until deep amber and jammy. This cannot be rushed, and it can be done a day ahead.
Season the mince simply with salt and pepper and shape 12 thin patties, slightly wider than the buns — they shrink.
Slice the chilled bloc into 12 rounds with the slicer, or a thin knife dipped in hot water between cuts. Return the slices to the fridge.
Toast the buns cut-side down in a dry pan.
Fry the patties in a hot pan, about 2 minutes a side.
Build fast: bun, rocket, hot patty, spoonful of onions, foie gras slice straight from the fridge, lid on. Serve immediately, while the foie gras is mid-melt.

Timing note for New Year’s Eve: everything up to step 4 can be done before guests arrive, leaving you five minutes of actual cooking. For slicing temperatures, portioning and what to pour alongside, our guide on how to serve foie gras has you covered — and the rest of the Comtesse du Barry range will handle every other course.