Fishing Club’s fish fry: “reel” food for “reel” people
Scott Baker
There’s a natural gap between people in any community. We build our lives around differing hobbies, interests, and social activities. We have our universe of friends, and they have theirs. Yet sometimes it all seems galaxies apart. Then, along comes the RR Fishing Club. Boom, there it is, a point of instant communion, and a beer-battered bridge soon opens up between those worlds.
After each club trip, conversations start about the hottest fishing spots. Soon afterward, the question arises, what to do with all that fish—how do we share nature’s bounty? Eureka! Let’s cook us some fish. We’re not talking about baked or grilled. We’re referring to only one thing: fried!
Welcome to the Fishing Club’s “oil” party. With over 20 pounds of striper, sand bass, and catfish, a springtime backyard fish fry took hold where everything was made with oil and the calories didn’t matter. Master cooks (Dick Cooley, Randy Schoff, Carl Caruso, and Scott Baker) lit up the outdoor fryers, hand-battered the fillets, and gently dropped them into the hot, bubbling oil. A few minutes later, platters were laden with deliciously moist and flaky fillets covered in a crispy, crunchy coating. No worries about timing our food perfectly. It was an eat-as-it’s-cooked-type deal. The fish comes out of the fryer, cooled a bit, then eaten. And, of course, there were those who just couldn’t wait standing around the fryer snatching whatever piece came out next.
It might be a fish fry, but we needed all those side fixin’s, too. There were French fries, coleslaw, and baked beans. Still, these were only supporting actors for the real star of the show: fried fish. Claims of being stuffed to the gills were nixed when we spied the array of desserts: cookies, cakes, brownies, and banana pudding. And when it came to cleanup, no fancy tableware here—only paper plates, napkins, and plastic utensils. Eat, drink, throw away. What could be sweeter?
The evening was spent eating and breathing fish, the aroma strong enough to seep into our pores, until we could barely put down another bite. While heading toward home, we were already planning the next fish fry. Yep, you got it. It sure isn’t gonna be healthy, but it’s sure gonna be good.
Never ones to turn down an opportunity to cast a line, plans are always in the works for fishing destinations around Texas and beyond. The RR Fishing Club meets the second Wednesday of each month at the Wildhorse Grill Boardroom at 4 p.m. For any inquiries, contact [email protected] or Scott Baker at 214-334-7664.