Ray wing is one of those fish that deserves more attention than it gets, with sweet, delicate flesh that slides cleanly off the soft bones. This ray wing recipe keeps things wonderfully simple, just a quick pan-fry finished with a nutty brown butter sauce and a few spring onions. It's the sort of thing you can throw together on a weeknight that still feels a little bit special.
Why we love this
Ray wing deserves more attention than it gets, sweet flesh that slides cleanly off the soft bones, and this weeknight pan-fry still manages to feel a little special.
What you'll need
Gather everything first, then the cooking feels calmer.
- 4 skinned ray wings
- Half a 250g pack of unsalted butter
- 2 spring onions, chopped
- Plain flour, for dusting
- 100ml white wine
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Cook along
Take it step by step; seafood rewards a calm hand.
- 1
Lightly salt the ray wings and leave them to sit for 10 minutes.
- 2
Rinse the salt off and pat the wings dry with kitchen paper.
- 3
Dust the fish on both sides with flour, shaking off any excess.
- 4
Melt half the butter in a pan and fry the ray wings for about 3 minutes each side, until just cooked through.
- 5
Using a fish slice, carefully lift the wings out and pop them in a low oven to keep warm.
Ray and skate are interchangeable here, so use whichever your fishmonger has. Keep an eye on the butter as it browns, because it turns from golden and nutty to burnt in a matter of seconds, so take it off the heat the moment it smells like toasted nuts. A squeeze of lemon or a spoonful of capers at the end is a lovely classic touch if you have them to hand.
Serve it with
Spoon the nutty brown butter and spring onions generously over the top. It loves something simple alongside, like new potatoes, buttered greens or a crisp salad.
Common questions
- How can I tell if ray wing is fresh?
- Good ray wing should smell clean and of the sea, with no strong odour, and often carries a faint pinkish tinge to the flesh. Interestingly, ray and skate are actually better a day or two after landing rather than dead fresh, as it gives the flesh time to relax and sweeten.
- Why does ray wing sometimes smell of ammonia?
- Ray and skate naturally carry urea in their flesh, which slowly breaks down into ammonia after they're caught. A faint whiff usually rinses away and cooks off, but a strong, eye-watering ammonia smell means the fish is past its best, so give it a miss.
- Do I need to skin ray wing myself?
- No, and we'd recommend letting your fishmonger do it. Skinning ray is fiddly, so simply ask for skinned wings when you buy them and you'll save yourself a job.
- How do I know when ray wing is cooked?
- The flesh turns from translucent to opaque and lifts cleanly away from the cartilage in those lovely ridged strands. Around 3 minutes a side is right for a standard wing, though thicker pieces may need a minute or two more.
- What goes well with ray wing?
- It's classic with capers, lemon and brown butter, and loves something simple alongside such as new potatoes, buttered greens or a crisp salad to balance the richness.
