With a moist texture similar to scallops, stingray is a perfectly edible fish, although it tends to be caught be accident rather than by design. If buying the fish unprepared, go for a fish with a two-foot wingspan, which will yield the best meat; smaller, and there is hardly enough meat to get excited about, while the larger fish can be tough and rubbery. The easier option is to buy the fish already prepared, since the only part of the fish worth focusing on is the soft fillet meat between the hard center cartilage and the wingtips. Either start with a bag of wing portions, frozen or fresh, and remove the fillets, or go straight for a bag of fillet portions.
Simple Stingray Preparation
Step 1
Thaw stingray portions overnight in the refrigerator, if starting from frozen. Drain any excess liquid.
Step 2
Simmer a wing, cut in half if too big, in a large pot for 30 minutes. Season the water with salt, pepper and your favorite seasonings. You might add wine, lemon or broth.
Step 3
Remove the wings from the broth and peel away the skin, which should come off easily.
Step 4
Cut the soft fish steaks from the cartilage. For a simple presentation, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon juice.
Step 5
Another way to prepare stingray is to cut disc shapes out of the raw fillets to give the appearance of scallops. Dip in beaten egg, toss in breadcrumbs and fry in oil until golden brown, around four to five minutes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Step 6
You can also prepare stingray by baking. Wrap the stingray fillets in aluminum foil and place on a baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. For an Asian twist that infuses the flaky, white flesh with flavor, smear the fish in chili paste or tamarind paste with chopped garlic, lemongrass, ginger and shallots to make a Singaporean sambal. Serve with steamed rice.
Step 7
Another method is to cube a stingray fillet, rub with lemon and simmer for two to three minutes in salted water.