SOMETHING FISHY

The hustle and bustle in the cramped kitchen at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Owatonna on Friday night means only one thing—it’s fish fry season.

Trays of fish wait to be dunked into the hot deep fryer or placed into the oven while KC volunteers scurry around shuttling food to the serving line and refilling empty pans with fish, potatoes and vegetables.

As Tom Burke, one of the coordinators of the fish fry, grabbed a pan of fish fresh out of the deep fryer, he said: “This is fun. I cooked for a couple thousand in the Army.”

On this night, there won’t be thousands to serve, but rather hundreds. The KC Fish Fry usually attracts around 400 people each Friday night throughout the Lenten season. The KCs host just one of several fish fries around the area; it’s an annual ritual in many Christian communities throughout the Midwest.

Teamwork is evident as about 25 volunteers are needed each week to put on the fish fry. And they each have their own set of responsibilities.

“That’s what the Knights are all about—doing everything together,” Burke said. “All our families are involved, which makes it great.”

With volunteers making the food, there is little-to-no extra room to spare.

“It’s tight space in the kitchen,” said Burke. “We learn to flow around each other.”

Besides Burke, some of the other key players include: Dave Lax, who cooks and coordinates with Burke; Greg Nelson and Tim Chicos, who handle staffing and the money; Jerome “Spinny”  Spindler, who mans the deep fryer; Dean Schuette, who runs the dishwasher; Pat Rose, who keeps the serving line supplied; and LaVern Klecker, who has been a KC member for 50 years and helps at all the fish fries.

“Spinny is always the fry guy,” Burke said, referring to Dean Spindler.

“I like to cook,” said Spindler, who has been behind the fryer for the past 13 years.

Burke describes Schuette as “our do everything man.”

Chicos, who has been involved with the fish fries for 26 years, said his favorite part is the unity of the group. “As long as the KC is still here, we will be doing it. We enjoy doing it.”

As Lax splashed a buttery mixture on top of the fish with a paint brush, he smiled and confirmed there is a “secret recipe” for the topping. And, he added, “there is beer in them.”

Conrad Bahe, a retired butcher, is credited with developing the KC’s secret topping.

Asked where Bahe was on this night, Lax replied: “He’s on a secret mission sampling fish at the Eagles.”

All the volunteers are members of the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus Assembly 2300 Owatonna. Fish fries have been a tradition of the KCs for the past 34 years.

“It’s a good bunch of guys,” said Schuette.

And Schuette loves to help out the community “knowing you are raising money for charities.”

About $25,000 from the fish fries is donated to various charities in the community, according to Chicos.

The KCs start on Thursday nights by prepping the main attraction—fish. They serve two types: baked cod and fried pollock.

Besides the fish, the KCs also prepare mashed potatoes, countryside gravy, coleslaw, rolls, and a vegetable.

“The first week is a little more labor intensive because everyone is trying to figure out what they forgot from last year,” Burke said.

By 2:30 p.m. on Friday, the KCs are getting everything ready for the meal, which runs from 5-7 p.m.

Over the course of seven fish nights through Good Friday on April 7, the KCs expect to serve as many as 3,500 meals. Proceeds from the dinners help a different organization each week. They include: Owatonna Catholic Daughters, Medford Knights of Columbus and Catholic Daughters, Owatonna Knights of Columbus, Grandparents for Education and Senior Place, St. Vincent DePaul, Exchange Club of Owatonna and the Izaak Walton League. The groups supply volunteers to help and clean the tables.

“It becomes a family tradition to come out and see your old friends and have a good time,” Nelson said.

Nelson’s job is at the front door. Pointing to the money box, he said, “I like this because I get to say hi to everybody.”

Added Chicos, “We’re in the business to help people and bring the community together.”

Nelson regrets that the KCs were forced to raise meal prices this year by $2 because of an 85% increase in cod prices. “We only buy the best we can,” he said.