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April 7th 2026
Postcards from My Montana Kitchen
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Spring is here!
I am writing today from Seattle, where the daffodils are in full bloom, the cheery trees are dropping their delicate petals and Spring baking is on everyone’s minds. I have also just returned from a bucket list trip to the deep prairies and mountains of Patagonia.
Read more about our adventure and my favorite way to prepare trout.
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The Best Fishing Lodges in Argentina
It was a bucket list for me to travel down to Patagonia, ride horses and fly fish the iconic Chimehuin River. We booked our trip through Patagonia River Outfitters and they put us with a wonderful guide, Gustavo, a native of San Martín de Los Andes, and his son. We fished the Spring Creeks, Cimehin and Quilquihe Rivers using dry flies and managed to catch a few beautiful browns and rainbows.
We stayed a few nights at The River House and then transferred to the incredible Tipiluike Lodge, a 50,000-acre estancia founded in the early 1900’s by three French brothers. We rode horses out to the base of Mt. Tipiluike and scrambled to the top of the hill, only to have our horses spooked by a wild boar on the descent back to the Lodge - a member of our party endured a broken rib as a result of that encounter.
One afternoon, we enjoyed an Asado BBQ, featuring black sausage, red stag venison, beef tenderloin, chicken, and chorizo. All the meat was smoked over the coals of local willow trees. Smoke from the hot coals and a delicious Chimichurri is the only sauce needed for this incredible BBQ.
Chimichurri | a no-cook sauce made with finely chopped parsley, garlic, oregano, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and often with red pepper flakes. It's a vibrant and versatile condiment used as a marinade, dipping sauce, or topping for grilled meats. |
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With every meal, premium Argentine wines are poured. One of my favorite parts of the day was cocktail hour, when one of the outfitters, John, shared his hunting adventures from the African Serengeti to deep Alaska. Cocktails were served with empanadas, olives and local cheeses. The lodge offers amenities like a wood-fired sauna, yoga, a hot tub overlooking the swaying poplars in the Patagonia winds, massages, and an impressive library filled with local guides and books about Argentina.
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Patagonia - we loved you and we will return."
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Subscriber-Only:
My favorite way to prepare trout:
After enjoying local trout several times in the past two weeks, I am reviving an old steelhead recipe I developed over five years ago. It could not be simpler. All you need is a sheet pan and a bit of parchment paper. The trout cooks in the oven so no messy, stinky kitchen.
Substitute: Salmon works beautifully with this recipe if trout is not available.
Ingredients:
- 5 lb steelhead trout cut into 4 filets, skin on
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 cups panko bread crumbs
- 1 TBPS Herbs de Provence
- 2 TBSP finely chopped fresh dill plus extra for garnish
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
- 1 unit zest of large lemon
Instructions:
- Pre heat oven to 450 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a bowl, mix bread crumbs, herbs, dill, zest, salt and pepper. Gently fold in olive oil. Place fish, skin side down, on the parchment lined baking sheet. Blot dry with a paper towel. Spoon 1/4 cup of the panko and herb mixture over the fish, pressing down gently to help the mixture to the fish.
- Bake fish for 10-15 minutes until crumbs are golden brown and fish flakes easily. Serve with a wedge of lemon and garnish with a sprig of fresh dill.
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See you next time!
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Meggen Wilson
Pine and Palm Kitchen | Wild Montana Foods, Founder
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