Fish fry
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A fish fry is a meal usually consisting of either battered or breaded fried fish, french fries, coleslaw, hushpuppies, lemon slices, tartar sauce, malt vinegar and dessert. Some Indian versions are cooked by coating fish with semolina and egg yolk. Usually served on Friday nights during Lent as a restaurant special; often served "all you can eat" and occasionally as family style (serving dishes brought to and left at the table). Beer is a common beverage of choice to accompany a fish fry. A fish fry will often include potato pancakes (with accompanying side dishes of sour cream or applesauce) and sliced caraway rye bread if served in a German restaurant or area.
A Shore Lunch is traditional in Northern USA & Canada. For decades outdoor enthusiasts have been cooking their catch on the shores of their favorite lake. From the far reaches of remote wilderness points, fishing guides would prepare the freshly caught fish for their guests on open flames along the sandy shorelines.
Fish fries are very common in the Midwestern and Northeastern regions of the United States. This is especially true for predominantly Roman Catholic communities on Fridays during Lent, when regulations calling for abstaining from most meat products are in effect. In Wisconsin, a fish fry is offered at almost all non-chain restaurants, taverns that serve food and some chain restaurants on Friday nights throughout the entire year. Going out for a Friday night fish fry is a popular year round tradition in Wisconsin, where it is common among people of any religious background. A typical Wisconsin fish fry consists of fried cod, perch or walleye, french fries, coleslaw and bread.
Battered or breaded haddock and cod fish fry is one of the trademarks of Upstate New York cuisine, especially Buffalo, as well as Rochester, Syracuse, New York and Newport, New York. The majority of restaurants in these cities serve fish fry on Friday, even outside of Lent, and it's often available throughout the week.
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[edit] Southeastern U.S. Social/Family Event
In the Southern portion of the United States, a fish fry is a family or social gathering, held outdoors or in large halls. At a typical fish fry, quantities of freshwater fish (such as bream, catfish, flounder and bass) available locally are battered and deep fried in cooking oil. The batter usually consists of corn meal, milk or buttermilk, and seasonings. In addition to the fish, hushpuppies (deep fried, seasoned corn dumplings), and cole slaw are served. These events are often potluck affairs. The world's largest fish fry is held each spring in Paris, Tennessee. In Georgia and South Carolina, fish are dipped in milk, then into a mix of flour, cornmeal and seasonings before frying. Buttered grits is often a side dish.
[edit] Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus have long been proponents of holding fish fries on Fridays. Most parish based councils hold fish fries on Fridays during Lent, while other more well-off councils hold such events either monthly or bi-monthly throughout the year. Still others hold the event once or twice a year, according to demand and financial capabilities. Knights of Columbus fish fries are often advertised throughout the local parish or local community as a family event, often resulting in a social environment for parishioners to come together. The modern fish fry tradition is strongest in the state of Wisconsin, where more than 1,000 eateries hold a weekly fish fry on Fridays, and often on Wednesdays. The traditional Wisconsin fish fry is considered incomplete if missing the following ingredients: a choice of either fried or baked cod, bluegill, or perch, German-style potato pancakes, cole slaw, marbled bread, and at least two locally brewed beers. The strength of the tradition in Wisconsin is a fortuitous amalgam of various events and social processes. Wisconsin was settled heavily by German Catholics. The fish fry was also a means by which Wisconsinites successfully evaded many of the unpopular requirements of Prohibition. The tradition is perhaps strongest in southeastern Wisconsin. However, scandinavian settlement of northern and eastern Wisconsin encouraged the preservation and development of the "fish boil", a variant on the fish fry, usually involving potatoes, white fish, kerosene, and a large cauldron.
[edit] South Asia
Karimeen fish fry is also popular in Kerala, India.
In West Bengal and Bangladesh (greater Bengal), fried fish or Maachh bhaajaa is a common delicacy eaten as a snack or fritter to go with a meal. Riverine fishes like bhetki, topshey, aarh and paabdaa (Ompok pabda), and anadromous fishes like Hilsa are commonly fried in Bengali cuisine. Fish oil may often be used as a dipping sauce. Fried eggs of the fish (eg of Hilsa) are also often eaten this way. The fish is often deeply fried such that fish bones become crispy and edible, as is the case with small fish like Maurala (Opio cephalus).
The term fish fry in South Asia, is however, commonly used to refer to the British (or Western) notion of the fish fry.
[edit] References
[edit] See also
- Wurst mart
- Fish boil
- Seafood boil
- Fasting and Abstinence in the Roman Catholic Church
- Fish and chips
- Pescado frito
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