Fish Wings

5 from 8 votes

What follows is a basic way to fry fish wings. You can also marinate them and grill them over a hot, open fire until they get a little char on them.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Optional Step: Mix 1/4 cup salt with 1 quart of water until the salt dissolves. Brine the fish wings or collars in this in the fridge for 4 to 12 hours. I like to do this before I go to bed, then drain off the brine when I wake up.
Alternatively, you can just salt the wings well and set aside while you heat about 1 inch of oil in a large pan. You can also use a deep fryer.
Lightly flour the fish wings, pressing it in. Set them aside as the oil heats.
If you have lots of wings to fry, set up a warming station in a 300°F oven by putting a cookie sheet in that has a cooling rack set above it. As the wings are fried, set them on this rack in the oven. This will keep them light and crispy so they don't get soggy on paper towels.
When the oil hits 350°F, fry the wings, starting with skin side up. The wings will arc upwards. Press them down with your tongs or spatula until they relax and flatten, maybe 20 seconds. Fry until golden brown, about 4 to 8 minutes per side.
If you're using a sauce, toss the wings in the sauce in a large bowl right before you serve them.