About Spearos Kitchen
Spearos Kitchen is an ocean to table education platform focused on helping the recreational spearfishing and fishing communities responsibly utilize their catch through recipes, species guides, fillet tutorials, and educational content.
What Are Mutton Snapper Collars?
Mutton Snapper collars are the triangular sections of meat located just behind the gills and below the head, connecting the head to the body of the fish. Often overlooked, these collars contain some of the most flavorful and tender meat on the entire fish thanks to their higher fat content and abundance of connective tissue. When cooked properly, the meat becomes juicy, rich, and easy to pull from the bone, making collars a prized cut among anglers and seafood enthusiasts.
Because mutton snapper is known for its mild, slightly sweet flavor and firm texture, the collars are particularly well suited for grilling, roasting, smoking, or broiling. A simple seasoning of salt, pepper, and citrus is often enough to highlight their natural flavor. Saving the collars is an excellent way to get more value from every fish while enjoying a delicious cut that many people discard.
Nashville Hot Mutton Snapper Collars Recipe
If you’ve seen my Nashville hot black grouper fingers recipe, then you know I’m a big fan of making things Nashville Hot! For this recipe, I decided to use the collars from a mutton snapper to make an appetizer. Because this mutton snapper was only around 19″, I took some of the fillet when I removed the collars just so there would be a little more meat on it!
How I Got This Mutton Snapper
Mutton Snapper are one of my favorite fish to hunt. They are extremely elusive at times and often tend to just “appear” out of nowhere from off in the distance. I got this particular spearfishing off of Dania Beach, an area that I often frequent. From time to time I run into some bigger ones out there, but not often. The photo below is one that I shot in Hawk Channel when I lived in the Florida Keys. It was around 28″.
Why You Should Try This Snapper Collars Recipe
If you like things spicy, this is definitely a recipe for you. You can control the heat to your liking by adding more or less cayenne pepper, but it’s entirely up to you. I personally enjoy spicy food, and I would say the recipe as is has that perfect balance of spice and flavor. The sauce can also we used as a dipping sauce for those who want a milder dining experience!
Another reason to try this recipe is that it utilizes a part of the fish that often goes overlooked: the collars. Especially on smaller fish, it is time consuming to pull the collars off of every fish you catch, but I promise it’s worth it. The meat around the throat is some of the most tender and juicy on the fish. The collars with a few sides can be served as a meal themselves and can quickly take your catch from 1 fish: 1 meal to 1 fish: 2 meals. Try this Mutton Snapper Collars recipe for yourself and let me know what you think!
Frequently Asked Questions
Other Mutton Snapper Recipes You Might Like
We have a full database of recipes that would be suitable for preparing this fish, we also have a few species specific recipes for mutton snapper. Every part of the fish is delicious, be sure to check out our recipes for all of the different parts!
Nashville Hot Mutton Snapper Collars
