Recipes by Marguerite Lavigne
20 recipes
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Wild Mushroom–Green Olive Gratin Toasts with Preserved-Lemon Crème Fraîche + Quick Dressed Arugula
This is my winter bistro bite when I want briny + bright without doing the whole seafood-tower song and dance: jammy wild mushrooms baked under a bubbly, cheesy gratin lid, spooned over garlicky toast. I finish it like a Californian who trained in Paris—preserved lemon, a little mustardy snap, and a quick, peppery salad right on top so every bite feels lifted.
Clementine–Vermouth Steamed Mussels with Nori–Herb Butter + Avocado-Celery Crunch
This is my winter-gathering mussel moment: classic moules marinière technique (gentle steam, lid on, no drama), then a glossy herb butter that tastes like the ocean took a vacation in California. Clementine and dry vermouth keep it bright, nori sneaks in that briny bass note, and a little avocado-celery crunch turns the whole bowl into a bistro starter that feels sunlit instead of heavy. Serve with grilled sourdough for dunking—because I’m French, not a monster.
Endive & Comté “Barquettes” Gratinées with Hazelnut–Date Butter + Quick Celery-Leaf Salad
These are my winter-gathering secret weapon: crisp endive leaves turned into little bistro boats, stuffed with a smoky-sweet hazelnut–date butter and showered with Comté until it bubbles and bronzes under the broiler. You get warm, melty, salty cheese against cool, bitter endive—then a quick dressed salad on the side to keep it bright and dangerously snackable with a glass of Jura white or Beaujolais.
Poached Shrimp “Vin Blanc” with Warm Clementine–Fennel Vinaigrette, Castelvetrano Olives & Celery-Leaf Confetti
This is my wine-bar shrimp moment: gently poached until barely blushing, then dressed while still warm in a citrusy, briny vinaigrette that tastes like a coastal winter escape. Fennel and shallot keep it French; clementine and good olive oil keep it California. Serve it with chilled white wine and something to swipe the bowl—because the dressing is the whole love story.
Celeriac Gratin Dip with Green Olive–Anchovy Crumbs + Lemon-Herb Finish
This is my bistro small-plate love letter to celery root: baked until bubbly and bronzed like a gratin, then finished like a dip you drag bread through with zero dignity. It’s bright and briny from olives and anchovy, but still cozy—exactly the kind of thing I want next to a cold bottle of white (or a very juicy, chilled red) when the fog rolls in.
Parsnip–Pear Winter Bistro Soup with Toasted Hazelnut Gremolata + Thyme Beurre Monté
This is my February bistro trick: parsnips for velvety comfort, pear for a quiet sweetness, and a gentle simmer that tastes like you actually had the afternoon off. I finish it like I’d finish a proper sauce—off the heat, with a glossy beurre monté and a blizzard of fresh herbs—so it feels indulgent without being heavy.
Smoked Mackerel Quick-Cure “Rillettes” Crostini with Warm Lemon–Caper Beurre Monté + Celery-Apple Crunch
This is my natural-wine-night bistro snack: briny, bright, a little smoky, and somehow still light on its feet. I do a lightning cure on smoked mackerel to wake it up, pile it onto skillet-toasted crostini, then spoon over a warm lemon–caper beurre monté that feels fancy but takes five minutes. Finish with crisp celery and green apple so every bite snaps back into balance.
Crisp-Braised Duck Legs with Prune–Armagnac Pan Jus + Butter-Basted Salsify & Celery-Leaf Salad
This is my winter-bistro love language: duck legs with shatter-crisp skin, a silky pan sauce that tastes like a tiny Parisian miracle, and one elegant vegetable side that feels very California—bright, herbal, and not at all heavy. Prunes and Armagnac make the jus glossy and deep without turning it sweet; salsify gets crisp edges in butter like it’s auditioning for the best part of the plate.
Wild Mushroom & Farro Sunday-Supper Broth with Calvados, Thyme, and Lemony Beurre Monté
This is my idea of a bistro-cozy Sunday starter: a clear, deeply mushroomy broth with chewy farro and a little Calvados wink—finished the very French way, with a beurre monté that turns the whole bowl silky without ever feeling heavy. It’s gentle simmer comfort with a California finish: lemon, parsley, and the kind of perfume that makes everyone wander into the kitchen asking, “What is that?”
Bistro Mussel & Potato Chowder(ish) with Saffron–Fennel Broth + Parsley–Chive Herb Oil
This is my winter bistro bowl that actually eats like dinner: plump mussels in a gently simmered saffron–fennel potato broth, finished with a shamelessly green herb oil that tastes like you opened the window in Provence and accidentally let California in. It’s cozy, briny, and bright—exactly what I want when February is doing that moody, gray thing and I refuse to cook anything fussy.
Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Pomegranate–Shallot Beurre Blanc + Charred Radicchio & Crispy Smashed Potatoes
This is my weeknight bistro dream: properly seared duck with that audibly crackly skin, then a beurre blanc that I bully into California brightness with pomegranate and lemon. Bitter charred radicchio and crunchy smashed potatoes catch every last spoonful of sauce—because I’m French, not wasteful.
Celery Root–Parsnip Bistro Velouté with Crispy Mushrooms + Parsley–Caper Herb Oil
This is my February bistro hug: a silky celeriac velouté that tastes like a cozy sweater, but finishes like a bright day in California. I sweat the aromatics until they’re sweet, simmer celeriac and parsnip until tender, then blitz it smooth and wake it up with a punchy parsley–caper herb oil. Crispy mushrooms on top make it feel elegant without turning dinner into a project.
Leek & Gruyère Breakfast Clafoutis with Crispy Potatoes + Warm Citrus–Endive Salad
This is my bistro-brunch-at-home love letter: a gently baked, custardy leek-and-Gruyère clafoutis that slices like a dream, plus a bright, slightly warm endive salad that keeps everything awake. It’s cozy enough for January, but the flavors stay clean—because I’m French, yes, but I live in California now and I refuse to be sleepy at 11 a.m.
Citrus & Green Olive Duck “Confit” with Crispy Skin, Wilted Winter Greens, and Cara Cara–Shallot Jus
This is my bistro-winter centerpiece when I want duck confit comfort without the full vat-of-fat commitment: duck legs slow-cooked gently with citrus peel, garlic, and thyme, then blasted in the oven for that glassy, shattering skin. I serve it California-light over a tumble of lemony greens with green olives and a glossy Cara Cara–shallot jus that tastes like you invited the sun to dinner.