How to Host a Midwestern Fish Fry

Erica wins the Hey Eleanor potluck award for simply asking a Kowalski's employee to help her find Cheez Whiz. Clearly, a success!When a gal goes ice fishing (and scores big time), there's only one thing left to do:

Get fryin'.

Hence, I hosted my first-ever Friday Fish Fry... the first fish fry I've experienced outside of a church basement and/or Wisconsin dive bar.

What's a fish fry without friends?

Nothing, I tell ya. I extended the invited to a handful of ladies who I love dearly for their witty banter and, most importantly, their ability to fully commit to a themed dinner party. This theme = Midwestern potluck food.Bonus points if you can't pronounce the ingredients on the can you dumped into your hot dish vessel.

Yes, cans.

Farm to table! Cheese ball, pickled beets, tartar sauce, mac-n-cheese... and TUMS for dessert.Since my pals had the sides covered, my biggest challenge was learning how to fry fish.

It seemed fairly simple.

I'd just never done it before. Plus, I worried about my entire house stinking like fish and fry for days. Not to mention, getting burned by hot oil. Signs you're not from the south: You're afraid of frying things.I decided to sort of, kind of copy the method for this crispy fish taco recipe from Food & Wine. I mean, except for the part where you take the fried fish and make a taco with it. I just focused on the fried fish aspect. Simply dip the fish in a flour/salt/pepper/spices mixture, then dunk in a beaten egg, then roll around in panko. Carefully lay them into your hot oil and boom.Look how they turned out: The freshest fish in the land.

Pretty good for my first time, eh?

They tasted amazing AND my house didn't even smell. My hair on the other hand stunk to high heaven.But who cares, last time I checked fish fries aren't about good smellin' hair. They're about pigging out, drinking Miller Lite tallboys and eating summer sausage. Is this not the biggest summer sausage you've ever seen? Yes, go ahead & make all those dirty jokes that are running through your head. I know you're thinking it. Double fisting it, Wisconsin style.

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In case you're wondering, here's where I caught these fish and here's a video of me eating a minnow. You're welcome.