Recipe: Batter up! It's fish fry season

When fish fry season arrives, it’s more than a meal – it’s tradition. There is one place I always tell people to start: The Center Café at the Medina County Career Center.

It has consistently been voted one of the best in the county and even earned a perfect 55.5 out of 55 points from the Facebook page “Fryday’s with Daddy.” This lunchtime fish fry may be the best one you have all season.

The Center Café, located at 1101 W. Liberty St. (Route 18) in Medina, is open Wednesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. They offer online ordering for dine-in, with reservations, or carryout. For $16, you receive beer-battered Icelandic haddock, fries, tangy coleslaw and dessert. It’s one of several daily menu options prepared by high school culinary students under the supervision of chef and educator Tony Stanislo, now in his 25th year at MCCC. The fish fry entrée is available throughout Lent.

For reservations or carryout, call 330-721-0229, visit mcjvs.edu or join the weekly email list by contacting cheftony@mcjvs.edu.

After you’ve started there, plenty of other great fish fries await during Lent. The Corkscrew Saloon serves lake perch along with many Lenten specials, available Tuesday through Saturday. The Victorian mansion setting and friendly staff make it a guaranteed winner.

Thyme 2 also offers a fish fry, and Chef John Kolar’s signature hush puppies are worth the trip alone. The Medina Eagles on Lafayette Road is another affordable favorite, offering both walleye and perch fish fry dinners including fries, coleslaw and hush puppies for $15 on Fridays from 4–8 p.m., beginning Friday, Feb. 20, and continuing every Friday through Lent. Call ahead for pickup at 330-723-7511.

What are your favorite fish fry spots? Email them to karl@medinaweeklynews.com and they may be included, along with your comments, in an upcoming column.

If you’d rather make a version at home – or cook the walleye you caught yourself – here’s a recipe from a past column. My friend Larry Obhof shared it with me after dropping off a fresh batch of walleye.

As always, I urge you to eat fresh, dine local and be happy.

Smoked Breaded Walleye

Ingredients:

Walleye, cod or similar thick white fish, boned – 3 pounds 3 cups whole milk (for soaking) 1/3 cup panko or breadcrumbs 1/3 cup grated Parmesan 1/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes 1 tablespoon paprika Dash sea salt and pinch coarse black pepper 1/2 tablespoon barbecue rub of choice 2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat smoker or oven to 450 F. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet. Cut fish into 4-inch-long, 1-inch-wide strips, ideally 1-2 inches thick. Soak strips in whole milk for 20 minutes. Beat eggs with 1 tablespoon water to make an egg wash. In another bowl, combine Parmesan, panko, potato flakes and seasonings. Remove fish from milk and let excess drip off. Dip each piece in egg wash, then dredge in dry mixture. Place on baking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes, carefully flipping halfway through. Internal temperature should reach 145 F. Serve immediately.