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With one more month of Lent remaining on the calendar, if you are of the Catholic faith, you might be on CDKitchen looking around for new seafood recipes for the next few Fridays. Fasting, or abstinence from meat, is performed as a penance in this religion and is common throughout many predominately Catholic regions in the world.
Although I did not grow up eating fish on Fridays (or pizza, as was also common in my area!), each summer for a couple weeks we would visit my grandfather, a strictly practicing Catholic, and would follow this tradition. My grandfather always observed the fish on Friday requirement through the year, even though Catholic law changed in the US in the sixties to loosen the requirement to just the Lenten period.
In Ohio, where my Pop-Pop lived, the most common way to prepare fish is the fish fry. With the Great Lakes' abundant fresh perch and walleye, the Midwest fish fry is a tradition that is common to people of all religious backgrounds. Local churches and Knights of Columbus often host fish fries for the community on Friday nights weekly or monthly throughout the year. The meal features battered and fried white fish such as perch, walleye, cod, or bluegill, along with sides such as cole slaw, French fries, potato pancakes, hush puppies, or baked beans.
But we never went out for this treat. My Pop-Pop was an avid fisherman and had a special way of preparing his fresh caught fish at his campsite. After spending most of his life working more than one job, he had saved enough for his second home camper and boat on Lake Erie. Us grandkids were happy to go visit and live the rustic life at the campground for a few weeks, free of any care or obligation.
The fishing trips were legendary. My Pop-Pop was very serious about the whole business, if you went out fishing on his boat, you had better be prepared to fish the entire time you were out with no breaks or idle chatter. His enemy was the sheepheads (in Lake Erie, silver bass or freshwater drum), a bait steeling fish he thought was trash.
In his slight Italian accent, he pronounced it “feesh,” and after each fishing trip he returned with dozens of his prized perch and walleye. His mood would noticeably improve as he cheerfully whistled while cleaning the haul in the fish house. There was enough to cook that night and more to freeze for later. In typical Italian fashion, after our meals, Pop-Pop would walk around on short visits to say hello to all the neighboring campsites and offer leftovers. From time to time, I’ll wistfully remember this sense of community shared at his humble working class campground.
Pop-Pop’s fish frying process was fairly simple. You must first soak the fish in a mixture of egg and milk for at least several hours. Then place cornflake crumbs in a plastic bag, add a few slices of fish at a time, and shake until they were thoroughly coated. Once all the fish is battered, he would heat corn oil in an electric skillet until the proper temperature and fry a few slices at a time in a single layer until just golden brown.
If there were side dishes, I don’t remember them. We didn’t even need sliced lemon or tarter sauce to adorn our fish. Inside the crisp crust, the taste was so fresh and delicate it was best left to stand on its own. After our meal, we were allowed to have a soda-pop that my Pop-Pop kept stocked in the cooler for us in a rainbow of colors.
Whether you are doing it for religious observance or on a mission to take your kids out fishing, I recommend trying out the Friday fish fry. If, like me, you cannot find perch or walleye (and it is pretty rare to find it fresh outside the Midwest), feel free to substitute the more commonly available flounder, cod, or catfish, or your favorite local catch.
©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
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Fish Fry Fridays
With one more month of Lent remaining on the calendar, if you are of the Catholic faith, you might be on CDKitchen looking around for new seafood recipes for the next few Fridays. Fasting, or abstinence from meat, is performed as a penance in this religion and is common throughout many predominately Catholic regions in the world.
Although I did not grow up eating fish on Fridays (or pizza, as was also common in my area!), each summer for a couple weeks we would visit my grandfather, a strictly practicing Catholic, and would follow this tradition. My grandfather always observed the fish on Friday requirement through the year, even though Catholic law changed in the US in the sixties to loosen the requirement to just the Lenten period.
In Ohio, where my Pop-Pop lived, the most common way to prepare fish is the fish fry. With the Great Lakes' abundant fresh perch and walleye, the Midwest fish fry is a tradition that is common to people of all religious backgrounds. Local churches and Knights of Columbus often host fish fries for the community on Friday nights weekly or monthly throughout the year. The meal features battered and fried white fish such as perch, walleye, cod, or bluegill, along with sides such as cole slaw, French fries, potato pancakes, hush puppies, or baked beans.
But we never went out for this treat. My Pop-Pop was an avid fisherman and had a special way of preparing his fresh caught fish at his campsite. After spending most of his life working more than one job, he had saved enough for his second home camper and boat on Lake Erie. Us grandkids were happy to go visit and live the rustic life at the campground for a few weeks, free of any care or obligation.
The fishing trips were legendary. My Pop-Pop was very serious about the whole business, if you went out fishing on his boat, you had better be prepared to fish the entire time you were out with no breaks or idle chatter. His enemy was the sheepheads (in Lake Erie, silver bass or freshwater drum), a bait steeling fish he thought was trash.
In his slight Italian accent, he pronounced it “feesh,” and after each fishing trip he returned with dozens of his prized perch and walleye. His mood would noticeably improve as he cheerfully whistled while cleaning the haul in the fish house. There was enough to cook that night and more to freeze for later. In typical Italian fashion, after our meals, Pop-Pop would walk around on short visits to say hello to all the neighboring campsites and offer leftovers. From time to time, I’ll wistfully remember this sense of community shared at his humble working class campground.
Pop-Pop’s fish frying process was fairly simple. You must first soak the fish in a mixture of egg and milk for at least several hours. Then place cornflake crumbs in a plastic bag, add a few slices of fish at a time, and shake until they were thoroughly coated. Once all the fish is battered, he would heat corn oil in an electric skillet until the proper temperature and fry a few slices at a time in a single layer until just golden brown.
If there were side dishes, I don’t remember them. We didn’t even need sliced lemon or tarter sauce to adorn our fish. Inside the crisp crust, the taste was so fresh and delicate it was best left to stand on its own. After our meal, we were allowed to have a soda-pop that my Pop-Pop kept stocked in the cooler for us in a rainbow of colors.
Whether you are doing it for religious observance or on a mission to take your kids out fishing, I recommend trying out the Friday fish fry. If, like me, you cannot find perch or walleye (and it is pretty rare to find it fresh outside the Midwest), feel free to substitute the more commonly available flounder, cod, or catfish, or your favorite local catch.
Cornflake Crusted Fish Fry
Made with cooking oil, cornflake crumbs, white fish filets, egg, milk, salt and pepper
Made with cooking oil, cornflake crumbs, white fish filets, egg, milk, salt and pepper
Serves/Makes: 4
- 1 pound white fish filets, such as perch, haddock, flounder, or cod, cut into serving pieces
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 cup milk
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup finely crushed cornflake crumbs
- 1 cup corn or other cooking oil
Combine the beaten egg and milk along with a pinch each of salt and pepper in a zip-top plastic bag. Add the fish and seal the bag. Let the fish soak in the milk mixture for 2-8 hours.
When ready to cook the fish, place the cornflake crumbs in another zip-top plastic bag. Remove the fish from the milk mixture, letting any excess drip off. Add the fish a few pieces at a time to the bag with the crumbs and shake in the crumb mixture until completely coated. Repeat with the remaining fillets.
Heat the oil in a deep skillet to 375 degrees F over medium-high heat. Add the fish, in batches if needed, and fry until golden brown and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side.
Remove the fish to paper toweling to drain.
Serve hot with lemon slices and tartar sauce, if desired.
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/pamela-chester/1241-fish-fry-for-lent/