34 bistro recipes

Potato and mussel salad with a saffron vinaigrette, sliced fennel, black olives, tomatoes, and torn basil. An elegant Australian bistro-style salad dressed while the potatoes are still warm.

Potato leek soup pureed silky-smooth from russets, sweet leeks, onions and chicken broth. A five-ingredient French bistro classic, no cream needed.

Mushroom focaccia tops plain focaccia bread with sauteed portobello slices, salty anchovy strips, fresh rosemary, and melted mozzarella. A 20-minute upgrade from store-bought bread to bistro-worthy starter.

Pears poached in red wine simmer halved pears in a cinnamon-spiked syrup of dry red wine, sugar, and lemon juice. Classic French bistro dessert, served warm or chilled.

Warm mushroom and mixed greens salad spoons sherry-glazed sauteed mushrooms over crisp greens, wilting them slightly under a warm lemon-thyme dressing. A light, bistro-style salad in about 25 minutes.

Leek potato soup with nutmeg simmers tender leeks and starchy potatoes in chicken broth, then purees to a velvety silk. A whisper of nutmeg lifts the cream-free soup into something elegant. Bistro classic, weeknight effort.

Restaurant and bistro Green’s of Whitby source and promote the very best of foods from the surrounding area. Situated in the busy fishing harbour of Whitby, Rob chooses seafood fresh from the quayside every morning, recently winning one of the food industry’s most coveted awards; Seafood Chef of the Year. Prime local meats and game are also a speciality. The abundance of fresh produce means that the menu changes frequently to offer the best of the day.

Pan-seared and oven-roasted duck breasts served over a silky sage-and-onion potato puree. An English-bistro style dinner for two with crisp skin and herbaceous mash.

Beef Bourguignon with cubed round steak braised in burgundy wine with crispy bacon, pearl onions, and mushrooms, plus a splash of sherry and tomato paste. The classic French bistro stew made at home.

Pan-fried red snapper fillets topped with butter-sauteed shrimp, capers, lemon slices, and slivered almonds. A 30-minute seafood dinner with bistro-level elegance.

Pork medallions marinated in red wine, ginger, honey, balsamic vinegar, and thyme, pan-seared and finished with a reduced wine-shallot butter sauce. A French bistro-style pork dish.

Whole grilled sea bass over a raw winter slaw of julienned carrot, parsnip, and celeriac with toasted walnuts and champagne vinegar. Bistro-style dinner for two in 30 minutes.

French onion soup with sweet Vidalia onions, beef broth and a bubbling cap of toasted bread, parmesan and mozzarella. Classic bistro comfort in one crock.

Celeriac and apple salad with yogurt, red onion, and a blender honey mustard vinaigrette, served on spinach with radishes. A bright, bistro-style salad in 15 minutes.

Pear and blue cheese pizza, a five-ingredient bistro-style flatbread with ripe pears, double-cream blue cheese, honey, and thyme. Ready in 30 minutes for an elegant starter or light dinner.

Wild mushroom and foie gras stuffing for veal medallions with four varieties of mushrooms, shallots, white wine, and chives. French bistro cooking at home.