We get whole jumbo fresh wings, We separate the joint between the drummie & the paddle only and leave the wing tip on the paddle, then we smoke the wings, portion, package, and fry them to order.
I do it this way for 2 reasons, the main reason is I do not want raw poultry anywhere on the line, we do a ton of BBQ and I do not want any chance for cross contamination anywhere near my chopping board that only sees RTE foods.
I also like the increased shelf life, being able to freeze portioned smoked wings without them sticking together if their shelf life is near its end. And the smokiness comes through slightly in our finished product.
I am only seeing a 120 second increase in fry time between chilled & frozen, and no difference in quality.
