Clam, Fennel and Sausage Chowder

The smokiness of bacon and spiciness of sausage, together with the aromatics of fennel and bay leaf make this one of my favourite chowders. This time, I used spicy moose sausages, but merguez is a great substitute. Serve for lunch with a piece of grilled bread and a glass of white wine.Enjoy! Serves 4-6

Clams

• 2 lbs whole clams • 1 cup white wine

Cook the clams, covered, with the wine for a few minutes until they open. Reserve the cooking liquid, you should have about 2 cups.

Chowder

• 1 large onion, finely chopped • 3 tablespoons butter • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced • 1 medium potato, diced small • 3 thickly cut slices of smoked bacon • 2 sausages, cut in slices • 2 bay leaves • 1 3/4 cups milk • 1/4 cup heavy cream • 2 garlic cloves, chopped • a squeeze of lemon • sea salt

In a large pot melt the butter and cook the onions on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the fennel, potato, bacon, sausages, bay leaves and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the reserved cooking liquid and simmer for a few minutes then add the milk, cream, garlic, and lemon. Simmer on low for 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt.

Garnish

• 1 cup edamame, blanched for 2 minutes, cooled in icy cold water • small handful of parsley, thinly sliced • few fennel strands

Serve chowder with the reserved clams either in it or in the shell. Garnish with some warmed edamame, parsley and fennel strands.

Restaurant Opening

Good news! After months of planning, licensing, and renovations, it's now official; The Bite House will open as a tiny restaurant on Cape Breton Island. Simple gastronomy inspired by the seasons. Stay tuned for more details, we are looking at a June 4 opening. Thank you for all the support.Cheers! -Bryan

Spelt Chocolate Cookies with Cranberry Butter Icing

These could also be called whoopie pies or cookie sandwiches. The tartness of the cranberries is perfect to cut through the sugar and rich chocolate and makes for a killer combination. I rehydrated the cranberries in butter for a few minutes, then drained and chopped them. In summer you might swap the icing for any seasonal berry ice cream. Enjoy with coffee or milk.

Spelt Chocolate Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened • 2/3 cup brown sugar • 1/4 cup quality cocoa powder • 1 egg • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract • 1 cup spelt flour • 1/3 cup white flour • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • pinch sea salt

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, cocoa, egg, and vanilla. In another bowl, mix the flours, soda and salt. Gradually add to the first mixture until combined. Split the dough in 12 chunks and roll into balls. Bake on parchment for 8-10 minutes. Leave to cool on cookie rack.

Cranberry Butter Icing

• 1/4 cup butter, softened • 1/2 cup icing sugar • 1 tablespoon heavy cream or yogurt • few cranberries, cooked and chopped

In a bowl mix together the butter and sugar. Gradually add the cream and mix well. Stir in the cranberries. If too soft, put in the fridge for a few minutes. Scoop a spoonful of the icing between two cookies. Repeat. Enjoy!

Garlic Confit

This is the first year I have more garlic than I can handle, thanks to a bountiful garden and generous friends. A good way to preserve the cloves before they start sprouting is to roast them until soft and paste-like and then pack them in oil. The process is a bit time consuming (great to do on a rainy day), but in the end you’ll have prepped about 300 cloves of ready to use, very handy in the kitchen, flavorful garlic. Plus, they’ll have a sweet fragrance from the roasting and whatever herbs you might have added. Crack a window open and enjoy!

Garlic Confit

• 24 heads garlic • 100ml grapeseed oil • sea salt • flavoring of your choice - I used a few leaves of sage

Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Cut the top of each garlic head. Put them in a cast-iron pot and add the oil, a big pinch of salt and flavoring, if using. Gently toss together, cover, and cook in the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Leave to cool and peel each garlic clove and put them in a bowl. You can also press them and they'll come out as a paste. Mash them with a fork, taste, and season with salt. Pack in jars and top with more oil. Will keep in the fridge for a few months. Perfect for making garlic butter.

Maple-Chili Roasted Partridge

The partridge is a nonmigratory bird that nests and forages on the ground. Because it spends its life running through the heather and shrubs, it is very lean. In order to keep partridge moist and full of flavor, I baste often and leave them to rest once done. The resting period is particularly important - it allows the meat to finish cooking and also prevents it from drying out when you cut into it. Consider applying this to most of your cooked meats. I've served these sweet glazed partridges with red lentils and winter greens. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 3 partridges • 5 tablespoons maple syrup • 1 tablespoon oil • 1 garlic clove, chopped • 1-2 chili pepper, finely chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes) • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar • 4 tablespoons water • sea salt

In a bowl, add the partridge, garlic, maple syrup, oil, chili, vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Let marinate in the fridge for about an hour. Take the partridges out and keep the marinade aside. Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Heat up a skillet on medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Once hot, sear the partridges on all sides until golden brown all around. Season them with salt. Remove from heat and add the leftover marinade and water. Cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, basting them with the liquid every 5 minutes to get a nice glaze. If the liquid seems to reduce too much, add a bit more water. The internal temperature should be about 165° F, but remember the temperature will rise a few more degress once out of the oven, so it's best to take it out a little before that. Leave to rest a least 10 minutes before serving. Serve with lentils and pan sauce.

Red Lentils

• 1 cup split red lentils • 2 cups chicken stock or water • 2 tablespoons butter • 1 onion, finely chopped • 1 garlic clove, chopped • 1 bay leaf, crushed • sea salt

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and gently cook the onions for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf, and lentils. Cook for another minute then add the stock. Simmer, half-covered, for about 10 minutes. Set aside and season with salt.

Fried Artichokes with Smoked Sausage Mayo

Livened up with lemon zest and paprika, these crispy breaded and fried artichoke hearts are wonderfully satisfying - crispy on the outside with a smooth, almost creamy inside. Enjoy them with a glass of white wine. You can also substitute firm cheese for the artichokes and have home-made cheese croquettes. If smoked sausages can't be found, cured sausage or even bacon will work nicely as well. Enjoy! Serves 4 as an appetizer

Ingredients

• 20-24 cooked artichoke hearts • 2 eggs, beaten with 2 tablespoons milk • 1/2 cup flour • 1 1/2 cup bread crumbs or panko • 1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika • zest of a lemon • a few cups of frying oil (peanut, sunflower) • sea salt

Marinate the artichokes with half the lemon zest and a pinch of paprika for 10 minutes. Take three large separate bowls. Put the eggs in one, the flour in another, and the bread crumbs with the rest of the zest and paprika in another. Season each with a pinch of salt. In a medium pan, heat up the oil until it reaches 350°F. You need at least 3 inches of oil. Put the artichokes in flour and dust them well. Take a few at a time and dip them into the eggs then coat them with the crumbs and set aside on a plate. Repeat with the rest. Once your oil is at temperature, turn on the fan and fry the artichokes in three batches, to avoid the oil to cool, for a few minutes until they're golden brown. Set aside on a wire rack and serve straight away.

Mayo

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise • 2-3 slices smoked dry sausage, chopped • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard • 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional) • 1 clove garlic, chopped

In a pan, cook the sausages with a bit of oil until crispy. Remove from heat. Mix together the mayo, dijon, garlic, maple syrup and the cooled cooked sausage. Serve with the fried artichokes.

Goat Cheese Dip with Blueberries and Watercress

Crisp watercress and the occasional burst of blueberries give this creamy, tangy dip more than a hint of bittersweetness. Around here it's an absolute crowd-pleaser. Serve as an appetizer on pieces of grilled flatbread and garnish with more watercress. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 125g goat cheese • 80g plain yogurt • a small handful of wild blueberries • a bunch of watercress • 1 tablespoon olive oil • sea salt + ground black pepper • a few grilled flatbreads or toast

Mix the goat cheese and yogurt in a food processor or whisk in a bowl until smooth. Pour in a plate or a bowl and top with blueberries and watercress leaves. Season with a small pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with flatbreads or toast and more watercress on the side.

Serves 4

Grilled Salmon Potato Salad

It's freezing cold outside but that shouldn't stop you from cooking on the grill. Over the past few days we've used a small charcoal barbecue to hot-smoke fish and to grill lamb chops, vegetables, and moose. If you want smokiness, just throw a few nibbles of apple or maple wood on the grill. For this recipe I've cured my salmon in salt, sugar, and maple syrup for a few days before cooking it in order to get a saltier and drier piece of fish. The result has almost the character of bacon, as in a classic potato salad. But curing the salmon is entirely optional. It tastes great either way. Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 kg baby potatoes • 400g fresh salmon • 4-5 small shallots, skin on, cut in half • 125ml (1/2 cup) plain yogurt • 2 tablespoons olive oil • 2 tablespoons maple syrup • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar • 2 cloves garlic, chopped • sea salt and ground black pepper

Boil the potatoes until tender, about 5-8 minutes depending on the size. Drain and leave to cool. On a barbecue or grill pan, cook the salmon about 5 minutes on each side, until just cooked. Brush it with maple syrup while it cooks. Drizzle the shallots with oil and grill them for about 10 minutes, turning them a few times, until soft. Remove the skin from the shallots and separate each layer. In a large bowl mix together the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, and garlic. Add the potatoes, chunked up grilled salmon, and shallots. Gently fold together. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with a few greens.

 

Stout and Rye Bread

This bread is leavened with baking powder instead of yeast and has a texture similar to soda bread. Also like soda bread, it's one of the quickest of breads to make - mix all the ingredients and bake. No rising or resting periods. I do enjoy more traditional bread making, but this is an easy fix if you are pressed for time. The result is a full flavored loaf - amazing toasted and perfect with cheese and preserves. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups rye flour • 1 cup whole white flour • 1/4 cup cane sugar • 1/4 cup flax seeds • 1 tablespoon baking powder • 2 teaspoons salt • 2 cups stout beer or beer of your choosing • 4 tablespoons melted butter

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. In a bowl, mix the flours, sugar, flax, baking powder and salt. Add the beer and melted butter. Stir well with a wooden spoon or your hands. Pour the dough in a buttered and floured 4"x 9" loaf pan. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes. Leave to cool before cutting.

Fish Soup with Scallops, Tomato, and Bay

I’m lucky to live on the Atlantic shore where I can get morning-caught fish on my plate for lunch or dinner. Today, it made its way into this flavourful and aromatic soup, which is best enjoyed fresh off the stove but also very tasty the next day. Serve with croutons, if you like. Enjoy! Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb white fish - like halibut or cod, cut into 1 inch pieces • 0.5 lb scallops • 4 tablespoons butter • 2 medium onions, cut in half and thinly sliced • 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced • 4 medium tomatoes, chopped • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds • 5 bay leaves • 5 cloves garlic, chopped • 2 cups white wine • 2 cups fish stock or water • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley • pinch cayenne pepper • sea salt

Melt the butter in a pot on medium-high heat and add the onions, celery, fennel seeds and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add half of the wine and let reduce completely. Add the tomatoes, garlic, cayenne, rest of the wine and stock. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the fish and scallops and remove from heat. Let sit for a few minutes, until the fish is just done. Add the parsley and season with salt. Serve right away.

Kale Salad with Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries

This salad makes the perfect pre-winter starter or lunch. I combine crunchy raw kale with creamy maple-mustard dressing and tangy wild cranberries for a flavourful but ultra-simple dish. If you can’t get your hands on dried cranberries, simply dry regular cranberries in the oven on very low heat for a few hours. Enjoy! Serves 6

Ingredients

• a bunch of kale, stems removed, thinly sliced • 15 Brussels sprouts • handful of dried cranberries • pinch sea salt

Bring a small pot of water to a boil and blanch the Brussels sprouts for one minute. Transfer them to ice cold water. Pick as much leaves of the Brussels sprouts as you can, and thin slice the rest. In a large salad bowl, mix the kale, Brussels sprouts, cranberries, salt, and the dressing.

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons oil • 2 tablespoons creme fraiche or heavy cream • 1 tablespoon maple syrup • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar • 1 teaspoon sesame oil • 1 small shallot, finely chopped • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients in a jar.

Remedy Infusion

Cold season is upon us. In order to ward off this year's sniffles, I’ve been drinking mugs of this warming infusion. A few notes – the gin is optional, though highly recommended, and you can use sage instead of mint. Also, feel free to add more cayenne for a really spicy remedy, which is always good for sweating away colds.

Ingredients

• 3 cups water • 2 tablespoons honey • handful fresh mint • thumb piece size ginger, sliced • half a lemon, sliced • pinch cayenne pepper • 1 clove garlic, smashed • 2 star anise • 3 cloves • 2 oz gin (optional)

Put all the ingredients but the gin in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the gin and serve really hot.

Shrimp Cakes & Acadian Rémoulade

A rémoulade is a mayonnaise based sauce with endless variations. This straightforward version, based on an old recipe, uses many of the traditional ingredients, most of which are available locally at this time of year. And what better way to enjoy it than with some nicely pan-fried shrimp cakes. As a side you could serve some buttered greens or a spinach salad.

Shrimp Cakes

• 1 pound northern shrimp, peeled and cooked • 1 medium potato, diced • 1/2 leek, finely chopped • few sprigs of fresh tarragon or chervil, chopped • 3 tablespoons flour • 1 bay leaf • pinch sea salt • small pinch cayenne pepper • 1/4 cup peanut or sunflower oil

Put the potatoes and bay leaf in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked. Strain and leave to cool for a few minutes. Put 2/3 of the shrimp and the potatoes in a food processor. Pulse a few times until roughly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the rest of the shrimps, the leek, tarragon, flour, salt and pepper. Form 6 large or 12 small patty. Heat up the oil in a frying pan. Once the pan is hot and the oil runny, add half the cakes and give the pan a small shake. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown, flip, and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate, repeat with the rest of the cakes. Serve right away and season with some sea salt.

Rémoulade

• 1 cup mayonnaise • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • 1 tablespoon grated horseradish • 1 tablespoon fresh basil, tarragon, and/or chervil, chopped • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar • 2 cloves garlic, chopped • few celeriac or celery leaves, finely chopped • pinch cayenne pepper • pinch sea salt

Mix all ingredients. Let to sit for at least 30 minutes.

Braised Red Cabbage with Juniper and Red Wine

Red cabbage grew relatively well in our first-year garden. Cabbage is one of my favourite ingredients for its versatility. It can be dressed for a crispy salad or softened to enfold meats, and it will keep for most of the winter in your cellar. Try this recipe and you'll want to grow your own. For the whole deal, serve with sausages and hot mustard - enjoy! Serves 4-6

• 1 small red cabbage, sliced • 2 shallots, sliced • 250ml red wine • 125ml water • 10 juniper berries, crushed • 10 coriander seeds, crushed • 1 tablespoon honey • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar • 3 tablespoons butter • sea salt + ground black pepper

In a dutch oven or pot, cook the cabbage and shallot in the butter on medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the wine and stir. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, lower the heat, and cover. Leave to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring once in a while. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and apple cider vinegar.

Oven-Roasted Tomato Tart

With shorter days and cooler nights, the tomato vines are beginning to look bare. So with the few ripe tomatoes left, I prepared this simple but intensely flavourful tart. The trick here is: you need top quality tomatoes, and you need to roast them at high heat. For oven-roasting I like to use cast iron pans because they get really hot and distribute the heat more evenly. You could turn this into a quiche or breakfast-like tart by adding a few eggs and a bit of cream. Enjoy!

Makes 4 small tarts

Roasted Tomatoes

• 2-3 lbs tomatoes (about 10 medium) • 2 shallots, chopped • small handful of fresh basil • few leaves of fresh oregano • 3 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil • sea salt + ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put all but two tomatoes in a cast iron pan or baking sheet. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix. Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Basic Dough

• 1 cup white flour • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter • 2-3 tablespoons cold water • a pinch of salt

In a bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Rub the flour with the butter until you get a sandy texture. Then add just enough water to make a smooth dough. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

Tarts

Split the dough in four; roll out on a floured surface, and line the buttered tart pans. Spoon the roasted tomatoes into each tart, making sure to add the cooking liquid. Slice the remaining two tomatoes, and layer them on top with a few leaves of basil. Reduce the heat to 375°F and bake for another 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Season with sea salt and drizzle with a bit of oil.

Maple and Oatmeal Pancakes with Brandied Peaches

Maple syrup is my favourite natural sweetener. No two syrups taste exactly alike. A bottle from New Brunswick will have a completely different personality to one from Cape Breton. As with wine, the taste of maple sap is affected by the unique combination of local environmental factors such as topography, climate, and soil. This place-derived personality is called the Terroir, which refers to the complexity of flavour characteristic of a particular region in which a particular food is grown. The skills of the producer also reflect in the final product. My favourite syrup is from a small scale operation in northern New Brunswick, but that's where I'm from, so I'm probably biased.

The oatmeal in these makes for a heavier batter, but a healthier one as well. You can also double or triple the peach recipe and jar them for later use. Enjoy!

Serves 4

Brandied Peaches

• 1 lb ripe peaches (about 2-3 large ones), cut into 8 pieces • 1/2 cup brandy • 1/4 cup sugar • 1/4 cup maple syrup • 1/4 cup water

In a medium saucepan, bring the brandy, sugar, maple syrup, and water to a simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Put the peaches in a bowl and pour the brandy syrup over. Let steep for at least 30 minutes. Leave them overnight for even better results. You can also double or triple the recipe and jar them for later use.

Maple and Oatmeal Pancakes

• 2/3 cup flour • 1/2 cup oatmeal • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder • 3/4 cup buttermilk • 1/4 cup maple syrup • 1 large egg • 2 tablespoons butter, melted • pinch of sea salt • pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, baking powder, salt, and spices. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, maple syrup, egg, and butter. Add the flour mixture and stir until you get a thick batter. Heat up a large pan. Add a dab of butter and pour some of the mixture to desired size. Cook them a few minutes on each side. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve hot with the brandied peaches, the brandy syrup, and some lightly whipped cream.

Scallops with Herbs and Wild Apple

Wild apples are often too tart to eat straight from the tree, but quick-pickling is one way to balance this tartness. I've used wild apples for this version of a dish that I often make at the restaurant. The scallops should not be over-cooked; a minute or two in a very hot pan is long enough. Done properly, they should have a nice caramelized face and a middle that's still creamy. Enjoy!

Herbs

• a good handful of fresh herbs like parsley, chives, basil, dill • 3 tablespoons of toasted almonds or hazelnuts • 3+ tablespoons oil • 1 garlic clove, chopped • pinch of sea salt

In a food processor, mix all the ingredients until coarsely puréed. Scrape the sides and mix again. Adjust consistency if needed by adding a bit more oil.

Quick-Pickled Wild Apple

• 1 small wild apple, julienned • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar • 1 tablespoon organic sugar • 1 tablespoon oil

In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.

Scallops

• about 10 scallops, patted dry on a paper towel • cooking oil • sea salt flakes

Heat up a frying pan with enough oil to cover the bottom. The pan should be big enough that the scallops are not cramped. When the oil runs freely and the pan is hot, add the scallops and season with salt. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, depending on the size. Turn the scallops over and cook for another minute. Reserve the scallops on a paper towel and season with sea salt flakes. Serve right away with the herbs and apples.

Brown Butter Popcorn

Making popcorn the old-fashioned way, in a lidded pan, is easier than most people think, and the results are much better than the microwaved stuff. Here, instead of melted butter, I drizzle brown butter over the popcorn, giving it the nutty flavour of toasted milk solids with just a touch of sourness from a squeezed lemon. For excellent organic popping corn, check out Speerville in New Brunswick.Enjoy!

Popcorn

Makes 4 servings (or 2 for a long movie night).

• 1/4 cup popping corn • 2 tablespoons cooking oil • sea salt

In a medium to large pan, add the oil and then the corn. The corn should just about cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and cook on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the corn has stopped popping. Remove from heat. Season with sea salt.

Brown Butter

• 3 tablespoons butter • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a small saucepan, cook the butter on medium-high heat until it browns. This happens when the butter stops sizzling and starts to foam. At this point, remove from heat, and add the lemon juice (this helps to stop the butter from cooking) and swirl the pan around. Pour over popcorn.

Cucumber, Green Tomato, and Fennel Salad

In these parts, unless you have a greenhouse, your tomatoes are still a few days from ripening. But unripe tomatoes can be delicious if prepared correctly - think fried green tomatoes. This side dish is healthier and less filling, just the sort of salad to bring to a neighbour's barbecue. I recommend using a mandolin (only if you're careful) to slice the tomato, cucumber, and fennel, but a recently sharpened knife and a bit of patience will do the trick as well. Enjoy! Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced • 1 large green tomato, cut in half and thinly sliced • 1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced • 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar • 1 tablespoon heavy cream • 1 tablespoon maple syrup • small handful of basil, chopped • pinch sea salt • ground black pepper

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Season to taste with plenty of freshly chopped basil and black pepper. Set aside for 10 minutes before serving to let the flavours develop.

Cooking at the Fortress of Louisbourg

Last weekend I participated in a celebration of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Île Royale (now Cape Breton) and Louisbourg, an 18th-century French fortress whose partial reconstruction is now one of Canada's most impressive National Historical Sites. As part of the anniversary festivities the fortress hosted a series of cooking demonstrations in addition to an outdoor market featuring local products like cheese, wine, beer, wild berries, and honey.

I was invited to give a cooking demo on wild mushrooms. I made a recipe that would showcase the chanterelle mushroom, since that is one of the island's most prolific. For the demo, I sauteed the chanterelles with herbs and garlic butter and finished them off with a bit of white wine. You'll find the recipe further down. I'd also like to make a special mention of a recently published cookbook called French Taste in Atlantic Canada - A Gastronomic History, which is about the cooking, techniques, and ingredients of Atlantic Canada between 1604 to 1758. I love reading up on the history of cooking and taste, and highly recommend this particular book. It was great to meet the historians and chefs whose enthusiasm for our region's culinary heritage has made this book a reality.

Wild Mushrooms and Herb Butter

• 4 cups wild mushrooms (here - chanterelles) • small bunch fresh herbs (thyme, chives, chervil, parsley, oregano) • 2 cloves garlic • 4 tablespoons butter • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar • 1/2 cup white wine • sea salt + ground black pepper • few flatbreads

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the butter, herbs, and half of the garlic. Cook for a minute, then add the mushrooms and season with salt. Sautée a few minutes until cooked. Add the wine, apple cider vinegar, and the rest of the garlic. Let it simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Remove from heat, taste, and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm on flatbreads.