Chef Jay Barnard, CEO and corporate chef of Freshwater Cuisine, shows off a freshly cooked walleye wing. Photos by Jacob Oldenkamp.
Freshwater Cuisine is most popular for its Walleye Wings, cut from the cheeks and fin of a walleye, also called pickerel in other parts of the country.
For Barnard, the owner and executive chef at Freshwater Cuisine, the best way to eat Walleye Wings is dipping in egg wash and seasoned bread crumbs before popping them into the fryer.
The team behind Freshwater Cuisine, from left to right, Torin Bergagnini, John Beacham, Josh Melanson, Jay Barnard, Hailin Wong, Trevor Barnard and Andy Taylor, are showcasing less-loved freshwater fish in interesting ways and pushing the boundaries when it comes to waste diversion.