Making Walleye Wings
As an animal lover (yes, most hunters are animal lovers), I need to respect and honour the life that I am harvesting by making sure as much of it's body goes to good use. Meat, fat, organs, fur, feathers, bones, etc. I am always learning new ways to obtain and use the edible and non-edible parts to make this happen.
After a successful morning fishing for walleye on Lake Erie with an experienced angler and good friends, I had the perfect opportunity to learn how to remove and cook "walleye wings". The underside or the walleye between the two front fins is a meaty and delicious part of the fish that doesn't need to go to waste.
I have seen some prepare walleye wings the same way they prepare fillets for a fish fry (so breaded or battered), and some were simply panfried with butter and seasoning. These walleye wings were going to be an appetizer to the beer battered fish and chips I was preparing for dinner, so I thought it would be best to just panfry them.
This method is so quick and easy and basically self explanatory for anyone that has been around a kitchen a time or two, but I am going to share the recipe I used to season the walleye wings, as well as the dip I put together to go with them. This Buffalo Parmesan Dip is something I have been making for years. I find it pairs really well with fish, chicken and fries. (it's seriously good).
I brined my walleye wings for about 3 hours before cooking. I use a fairly basic brine when I am preparing fish, but it works great.
My Fish Brine includes:
- 2 cups cold water
- 4 tablespoons of salt
- 1/3 cup of brown sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Simple, quick and staple ingredients every household should have.
After the walleye wings were done in the brine, I dried them off with a paper towel and allowed them to rest on the paper towel (to absorb any additional moisture) while I prepared the seasoned butter and dip.
Drying off the fish doesn't make the meat dry, it makes it cook better.
For the seasoned butter, that we will brush onto the wings before cooking, I used:
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- salt and pepper
This isn't a science, you can adjust amounts and ingredients to suit your taste preferences.
Now for that buffalo parmesan dip. This dip goes well wish fish, chicken, veggies, potatoes, whatever! Again, adjust to your taste preference, this isn't really down to a science. I just dump in ingredients until it feels right.
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon buffalo sauce
- 1 tablespoon shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 dash of lemon juice (about 1 teaspoon)
Now to cook these beauties up. You simply brush each side with butter and place them in a skillet. Flip the wings after about 3 minutes, but before flipping them, brush the top with your seasoned butter mix.
You can serve these as an appetizer or quick fishing hut snack.
