Growing up in Northeast Wisconsin, the Friday Fish Fry was never reserved only for Lent, but a year-round occurrence. Everyone had their favorite place, their local supper club, and, their favorite freshwater fish or shrimp. Some of us gathered weekly, going out for fish as if we were stopping at one’s favorite pizza joint or local bar for the weekly happy hour. When Lent rolled around the special occurrence of Friday Fish did not rest in the menu change, but in the community that joined you in breaking bread. It was found in the awareness that this time, we gathered for fish in union with Catholics from all over the world, joining in together on this Lenten Journey. And, it was usually on that Lenten Friday, when instead of Perch you craved chicken or a tenderloin, a time when you could not order those items off the menu.
For many of us today, abstaining from eating meat on Friday is not a sacrifice, but something we enjoy and maybe even indulge in as we gather at table with family and friends. Depending on where you live, fish might even be the cheaper option for your Friday meal. But is sacrifice the only reason we don’t eat meat?
For someone who does not like fish or vegetarian options for their meals, the Friday Fish is a sacrifice, but for those of us who love our salmon, shrimp, perch, and other seafood, we look forward to the meal, and might even spend more on the meal overall than we would on any other night of the week. However, in today’s world, the importance of the fish fry rests as a reminder of the season we have entered into, a reminder that Christ died on a Friday, and by limiting our food choices for one day, we have a gift to explore something equally as important, community.
We are a communal people. We are tasked we helping each other get to heaven, to become the hands and feet of Christ, and to see the Face of God in everyone we meet. How often do we forget this with the societal rhythm of the world today? The Friday Fish Fry allows us to step out of the worldly for a moment, and enter into community. We have a greater tendency to cook together as a family, to sit at table, and to join friends and family at parish or supper club during the Lenten season. The sacrifice, if you need one, might very well be not in the meat you are abstaining from, but the time you are spending with others, maybe even others you don’t care for that much, and breaking bread together.
As I write this, I have wonderful taste memories of the Friday Fish I had a Polly’s and Van Abel’s growing up. My mind is flooded with memories of my grandparents and time with my parents and brother. I can still feel and hear the movement of people coming in and out of Van Abel’s, the sounds of family, friends, and community coming together. May we rediscover the beauty of community each Friday during Lent. May we repair strained relationships with family and friends while sharing a meal together. May we gather in our church basements, supporting the mission and ministry of the Church. And, may we discover that sacrifice and joy are interlinked.
As a kid, shrimp or perch, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes were my go-to Friday Fish choices. Always with a “kiddy cocktail” with extra cherries and followed up with something sweet. I would like to share with you, something sweet. As a Midwesterner, it would be expected that I share with you a Scotcheroo recipe, but seeing as I have never made them. I will share with you another bar that is a favorite and one to get you excited for Spring. This recipe originally came from Joy the Baker’s blog on January 15th, 2014.
My Riff on Joy the Baker’s Classic Lemon Bars
Serves: 9
Ingredients:
The Crust
1 Stick of unsalted butter
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
1 Cup flour
Pinch of salt
The Topping
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
1 Teaspoon Lemon zest (in all honesty, measure this one with your heart)
3 Tablespoons flour
1/3 Cup Lemon Juice (Shh! I discovered I could up it from 1/4 during an operator error the first time I made them. This is the first time I have allowed this “secret” to be revealed. You can NEVER go wrong with more Lemon!)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Prepare an 8×8 pan with parchment paper. You want to be able to pull the bars out of the pan using the parchment, so allow for it to hang over the pan.
3. Make the crust using a hand mixer creaming together the butter and sugar. This may take a while so allow for a few minutes to pass before calling it “done.”
4. Dump the dough into the pan and press down, covering every inch of the bottom surface. It helps if you use the base of a measuring cup to help get the dough moved around without warming it up too much with your hands.
5. Bake the crust for 15-18 minutes. It will be a little brown around the edges and likely pale in the center.
6. Whisk together the eggs and sugar until it is a little thick.
7. Add the flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, and whisk again until everything is well blended.
8. Pour the filling into the pan over the warm crust and bake for 18-20 minutes. You know it is done when there is a little color to the top and it no longer wiggles (or looks liquidly) in the center.
9. Allow the pan to cool completely.
10. Remove the bars from the pan and cut them into 9 (or so) squares. It is encouraged that you sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with raspberries.