On the Table
By Kate Anderson
Fish Fry-days
Photo courtesy of Andy Wang
Fish fry popularity grows during Lent
F
ish fry dinners are a spring staple as many participating in Lent abstain from eating meat on Fridays. The tradition has roots in 19th-century Catholic immigrants that settled in Midwestern states near the Great Lakes. To supplement the missing protein from their Friday dinners, they opted for fish. Bars and pubs are also partially responsible for the popularity of fish fries. During Prohibition era, pubs turned to fried fish to make up for lost alcohol sales. Fish fries continue today, particularly around Lent, which takes place from March 2-April 14 this year. As Lent is not 26
only a period of fasting but a period of giving, many parishes use the dinner gatherings as a way to bring the community together and raise money for the church or another cause. That’s true for St. Andrew Parish, where a fish fry tradition began in 1997. “Eight very involved mothers at St. Andrew School decided to organize the fish fry dinners in order to raise money for our new church and parish hall, which were under construction at the time,” says Jen Wenzke, St. Andrew Parish secretary. “The success of the early fish fry dinners was unexpected. The crowd’s excitement
and friendliness on these evenings provided a community building atmosphere.” St. Andrew’s Parish has kept the tradition going since this successful first dinner took place. More than just a Catholic tradition, fried fish is an easy and crowd-pleasing meal to cook up with friends or family. If you’re looking to dine in this season, try this simple yet delicious family recipe. Kate Anderson is an editorial assistant. Feedback welcome at feedback@ cityscenemediagroup.com.
March/April 2022 • www.trivillagemagazine.com
