Fish Fry Fridays are for everyone

Given the length of the line at Fish Fry Friday, Feb. 23, (across one end of the hall and halfway down the length of it), word has gotten out that diners should show up early if they want to be sure to get a fish dinner at this popular event. A Lenten tradition at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Parish for more than 30 years, the dinner is open to the whole community and attracts a large crowd every spring.

The Knights of Columbus are serving up three kinds of seafood every Friday through March 23 starting at 5:30 p.m. Choices are fried cod and fries; baked salmon and mixed vegetables; shrimp with fries, plus a combo plate of fried cod and shrimp with fries. All dinners come with coleslaw besides water, tea or coffee, and ice cream for dessert.

Seeing how many people were in line, I asked if they had enough food (they ran out of salmon at least once last year). Dinner coordinator Jeremy Ridgeway said he bought extra fish and shrimp, but not extra salmon. As it turned out, at the end of the dinner (7 p.m.) they had one or two pieces of salmon left.

While a few details in the preparation vary from week to week, depending on who is doing the cooking, the Knights try to keep the meals fresh with subtle changes. This year they are adding bits of cucumber to the coleslaw which is now included with the salmon dinner.

For St. Peter's parishioners, the dinner is a chance to visit with their relatives and pew mates, as well as other local residents and enjoy a good meatless meal at the same time. Having dinner with her husband, Margaret O'Leary said, "The coleslaw is excellent; the cod is crisp and fresh."

Since I can't eat fried fish, I always get the salmon which is moist and flaky, a squirt from a lemon wedge giving it a tasty twist. The vegetables - carrots, potatoes, onions green beans, corn and green bell peppers - are a healthy choice but not as tasty as the homemade french fries. My sister had the fried cod plate, so I traded her half my veggies for half her fries.

Ridgeway explained why the fries, his specialty, are so delicious. He buys potatoes specifically sold for making fries, Burbank russet potatoes, from Restaurant Depot. "Their starch content is higher than other potatoes," he said.

Ridgeway hand cuts the potatoes and blanches them in hot oil for three to four minutes, then sets them aside so the starch builds up which makes them crisp on the outside. The fries are later put back in the oil to finish cooking before being served in generous helpings with a dash of salt. Available condiments for the meals include ketchup, tartar sauce and malt vinegar.

The fried cod plate costs $8, all the others are now $10 and the child's fried cod plate is $5. Sodas are available for an extra charge.

It takes a kitchen full of Knights to put on the Fish Fry, (I counted about 20 of them), produce a friendly dining experience and make some money to support local nonprofits. They sold 236 dinners the first Friday night, Feb. 16, and 286 dinners on Feb. 23.

The remaining dinners will be held on March 2, March 9, March 16 and March 23. Be sure to get there early for a tasty fish dinner and invite your friends to join you so you can chat while you wait in line.