Taste of the Wild: Bang bang walleye wonton cups

Kick off the new year with a pop of flavor from these walleye wonton cups in a recipe created by Ryan Pinkalla.

From his cookbook “The Frozen Kitchen,” this recipe is great as an appetizer when you share times with family and friends. Once you’ve tried it you will want to make an extra portion of the bang bang sauce to enjoy on other Asian-inspired dishes.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound skinless walleye fillets

Square wonton wrappers

Frying oil

1 1/2 cups shredded red cabbage

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

Juice from 1 lime

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sriracha

2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

1 egg

FISH BREADING

1 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup corn starch

2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

Garnish: Fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour 2″ of oil into a large pan and heat to 350°F.

2. Make the wonton cups by taking one wrapper at a time, laying it flat into the hot oil, and pressing it down with a ladle. Submerge for 7 to 10 seconds until the wrapper forms a cup around the bottom of the ladle. Remove the ladle and brown for 30 seconds. Remove from oil. Repeat to make 12 cups.

3. In a bowl, mix red cabbage, red onion, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

4. Make the bang bang sauce by mixing the mayonnaise, sriracha, and sweet chili sauce.

5. Combine all fish-breading ingredients.

6. Cut fish into bite-sized chunks. Beat one egg. Coat chunks of fish in egg wash, then coat in breading. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side until crispy.

7. Place cooked fish into a large bowl and toss in the bang bang sauce.

8. Assemble the cups by placing a spoonful of cabbage mixture into each wonton cup. Top with bang bang fish and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Photo and recipe by Ryan Pinkalla

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ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR

Ryan Pinkalla is a social media personality from “The Crappie Chronicles,” “Past the Barb podcast,” and host of “The Meat Season” on YouTube. As a self-taught home cook, specializing in fish and wild game recipes and author of the cookbook “The Frozen Kitchen,” he has grown a following by creating approachable recipes using wild ingredients and showcasing his hunting and fishing adventures on social media.

As an avid hunter and angler, his goal is to encourage the outdoor community to embrace a new style of fusion cuisine and inspire a new generation of outdoor chefs. He focuses on combining fun modern cooking techniques with wild game meats and using social media as a platform to join other foodies in promoting the lifestyle of catch, clean, and cook these wild ingredients. Follow him on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube @ryan_pinkalla

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