SAN ANTONIO - Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday, and Friday fish fries -- that's how it usually goes for Catholics during Lent.
- Friday fish fries at Knights of Columbus in Schertz
- Usually serves up about 1,000 platers
Some feed small groups and others can get pretty massive. Either way, it usually takes some serious planning and work.
It all starts with fish in a freezer--days before the fish fry.
"We thaw the fish a couple days beforehand," said Greg Ellison.
Greg Ellison is part of the Good Shepherd Council of the Knights of Columbus in Schertz. Every Friday during Lent, they dish out about 1,000 plates.
"Do you guys remember how many we've done before? A little over a thousand? Yeah, a little over a thousand," he asked his teammates while getting supplies ready.
Ellison's job is to buy the supplies, and as you can imagine, it's a lot.
"We measure it in boxes - is what we talk about - and it's a 15-pound box and we usually can serve 25 plates out of a 15-pound box of fish," he said.
For Ellison, you can say service comes naturally by now.
"I was in the Air Force. After twenty years, I retired and actually I joined the Knights of Columbus shortly after I retired," he said.
Since then, Ellison's joined the prep crew with Tony, Charlie, and David. Most are retired and have time during the mornings to help.
It takes a few pairs of hands because prepping takes a good four days before each Friday during Lent.
"It is fun to do and it's surprising how fast it goes. We have about 300 potatoes for baked potatoes," said David Wissmann.
Add in coleslaw, corn, and a lot of not-so-secret remoulade sauce and you've got the perfect menu.
At the end of the fish fries, you might wonder where all the money goes.
"We give it away. We support our church quite a bit. We donate to several women’s shelters in the area," Ellison said.
The extra food doesn't go to waste either--instead it heads right to the local food bank.