Good Friday Fish Fry
My favourite part of Easter does not involve bunnies or chocolate. It’s not even the beginning of Spring, with daffodils and tulips blooming. My favourite part is Good Friday fish fry. The reason is probably that my family does it right. We are talking 20 pounds of potatoes, 15 lbs of fresh Lake Erie perch, a keg of local Walkerville Honest Lager and a giant deep fryer on the front lawn. Despite my very Catholic mother’s assertion that it “always rains on Good Friday”, the weather is usually sunny with a warmth that hints of the fair weather days to come. And no Good Friday is complete without entertainment- including the time my father and brother-in-laws neglected the deep fryer and it caught fire. Bring on Good Friday!
While my family swears by Perch fillets, common in Lake Erie, this recipe would work with any white fish, including Pickerel (Walleye). I prefer a lightly battered fish as opposed to a heavy beer batter. I recommend sticking with a 3:1 ratio of flour to cornmeal.
The spices can be changed to your personal preference but I highly recommend including Old Bay Seasoning. It has that nostalgic seafood flavour.
No deep-fried fish is complete without tartar sauce. Please do not use the bland Ranch-dressing like sauce you find in a jar at the store. While it may take a few extra minutes, homemade tartar sauce elevates this dish from great to amazing!
Deep-Fried Perch
1 lb fresh perch fillets
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
3 large eggs
1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
salt and pepper (to taste)
Canola/ vegetable/ or peanut oil for frying
Pat the fish fillets dry and season both sides with salt and pepper.
Prepare three shallow bowls. In the first bowl combine ½ cup of flour with 1 tsp of salt and pepper. In the second bowl whisk the eggs. In the third bowl, combine the remaining flour, cornmeal and spices.
Coat each perch piece in the flour and shake to remove any excess flour. Dip the fillet into the beaten eggs and then coat with the final flour/cornmeal mix.
Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a pot on the stove until it reaches 350°F. Working with several fillets at a time so the pot is not overcrowded, submerge the fillets in the oil and cook until golden brown. Once fried, place the fillets on a baking sheet lined with paper towel to drain, and keep in the oven until the remaining pieces are completed.
Repeat until all the remaining fillets are cooked. Serve immediately.
Tartar Sauce
The Harrow Fair Cookbook
Makes 1 cup
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp finely diced celery
3 tbsp finely diced dill pickle
2 tbsp finely diced green onions
1 tbsp finely chopped capers
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 anchovy fillet, minced
Combine all the ingredients and mix well in a medium-sized bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.