Patagonian Trout

Easy·20 min active + 10 min resting

Trout from the glacial lakes and rivers of Patagonia, grilled with butter, garlic, and lemon — the introduced fish that now thrives in the cold southern waters, cooked simply to honour its clean, sweet flesh.

Trout and salmon were introduced to Patagonia's lakes and rivers and now flourish, becoming a regional staple grilled or smoked.

The trout's skin is crisp and the flesh flakes into moist, pink-pale leaves, clean and gently sweet, slicked with garlic butter and brightened by lemon. Bite: tender and delicate, the fish tasting of cold glacial water, the garlic and butter enriching without overwhelming. The simple lakeside supper of the Patagonian south.

Trout's delicate flesh cooks quickly, so a crisp skin-side sear and a brief flip keep it just-set and moist. Garlic butter and lemon are the classic foil for the clean, freshwater fish — a restrained treatment that lets the cold-water quality show.

Variations

Smoked. Stuffed with herbs. Wrapped in foil over coals. With almonds (amandine). With white wine. Cured as gravlax.

On the Palate

Where Patagonian Trout sits in the Patagonian flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 2

How it's made

7 steps · 20 min active + 10 min waiting

1
6 min
Clean and butterfly 2 trout; pat dry and season with salt.
2
3 min
Heat butter with crushed garlic in a pan or on a grill.
Watch out
Keep the garlic butter at a gentle sizzle, not browning — scorched garlic turns bitter over the clean fish.
3
4 min
Lay the trout skin-side down and cook 4 min until the skin crisps.
Watch out
Lay it skin-side down and leave it four minutes without nudging — moving it early tears the skin and it won't crisp.
4
3 min
Flip carefully and cook 2-3 min until just opaque.
Watch out
Flip once and pull it at just-opaque — trout is thin and overcooks into dry flakes in seconds.
5
2 min
Spoon the garlic butter over and squeeze lemon.
6
1 min
Scatter a little chopped herb if you like.
7
2 min
Serve with potato.