Marguerite Lavigne

Marguerite Lavigne

French soul, California sun

I grew up in a small village outside Lyon, where my grandmother taught me that the best meals come from respecting your ingredients. After training at Le Cordon Bleu and spending years in Parisian kitchens, I moved to San Francisco and fell in love with California's farmers markets and wine country. Now I cook the food I wish my grandmother could taste—French technique with California abundance, where a perfect roast chicken might come with Meyer lemon and wild fennel instead of tarragon.

Recipes

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Chenin-Steamed Mussels with Green Garlic, Meyer Lemon & Crème Fraîche

Chenin-Steamed Mussels with Green Garlic, Meyer Lemon & Crème Fraîche

This is the dish I want in front of me when the California sun starts dipping below the horizon and the patio string lights flicker on. We're giving sweet, briny mussels a quick, aggressive steam in a splash of natural Chenin Blanc, tossing in spring green garlic, and finishing the whole beautiful mess with a generous dollop of crème fraîche and sunny Meyer lemon. Grab a warm baguette—you won't want to leave a single drop of this broth behind.

15 minutes4easy
Rosé-Poached Trout with Crushed Potatoes & Blood Orange-Avocado Vierge

Rosé-Poached Trout with Crushed Potatoes & Blood Orange-Avocado Vierge

This is the lunch you serve when the California sun is beaming and the rosé is already chilling. We are gently poaching trout in wine and aromatics—barely whispering heat into it—so the fish becomes incredibly silky and delicate. Paired with warm, buttery crushed potatoes and an unapologetically vibrant blood orange and avocado sauce vierge, it perfectly bridges a classic Parisian neighborhood bistro and a breezy West Coast afternoon.

15 minutes2easy
Brouillade with Butter-Warmed Favas, Avocado & Mint Pistou

Brouillade with Butter-Warmed Favas, Avocado & Mint Pistou

Listen, a brouillade is simply a French scramble that went to finishing school in Provence. We're keeping the heat whisper-low and gently folding the eggs until they become a savory, decadent custard. Then, we're bringing them right back to California with spring's best double-shucked fava beans, creamy avocado, and a punchy jalapeño-mint pistou.

7 minutes2medium
Bavette Steak with Whipped Green Garlic–Pistachio Butter & Spring Crunch Salad

Bavette Steak with Whipped Green Garlic–Pistachio Butter & Spring Crunch Salad

In Paris, a steak always arrives with a coin of herb butter melting seductively over the top. Here in California, I take that same bistro energy but swap the heavy potatoes for an obscenely crunchy, bright salad of shaved spring snap peas and radishes. The butter—whipped with early spring green garlic, toasted pistachios, and Meyer lemon zest—is the true star, mingling with the steak juices to create its own sauce.

11 minutes2medium
Charred Brussels Sprouts "Amandine" with Meyer Lemon Brown Butter & Quick-Pickled Shallots

Charred Brussels Sprouts "Amandine" with Meyer Lemon Brown Butter & Quick-Pickled Shallots

I have zero patience for soggy, boiled Brussels sprouts. Instead, we’re blasting them in a scorching hot oven until they’re aggressively charred, then tossing them in a nutty, Meyer lemon brown butter while they're still screaming hot. With a handful of quick-pickled shallots to cut the richness, this side dish tastes like a cozy Parisian bistro took a mid-winter vacation to Santa Barbara.

20 minutes4easy
Rosé-Poached Scallops with Warm Artichoke Hearts + Tarragon–Chive Vinaigrette (and a Little Celery Salt Crunch)

Rosé-Poached Scallops with Warm Artichoke Hearts + Tarragon–Chive Vinaigrette (and a Little Celery Salt Crunch)

This is my idea of a bistro first course that wears sunglasses: silky, gently poached scallops nestled with warm artichoke hearts, then showered in a shamelessly green tarragon–chive vinaigrette. The poaching liquid is a quick rosé court-bouillon—light, aromatic, and the kind of thing that makes you feel like you’re cooking with a glass in your hand (you are).

10 minutes4medium

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