Many Fish in the Sea: These Sides Can Steal the Spotlight During Lent

Any fish fry worth its kosher salt (and malt vinegar) offers all the traditional accompaniments we tend to associate with a fish dinner.

A fish fry favorite, haluski is a simple dish with humble roots that is comprised of onion, green cabbage and homemade egg noodles. Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS

By Gretchen McKay From Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

PITTSBURGH—There’s no question as to what menu item is the most ordered at Friday fish fries during Lent.

Across the region, in dining halls both large and small, Pittsburghers love their fish, whether it’s fried, battered, baked, broiled, tossed in fettuccine, or stuffed into a taco shell.

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in the Mon Valley, for example, will go through about 1,000 pounds of fish each week to feed hundreds of hungry customers during the six-week Lenten season, notes business manager Ray Fonos. “And we also do a lot of shrimp,” he adds.

Divine Grace Parish, the three churches of which make up the largest parish in the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, also sells a lot of fried fish sandwiches and fish tacos on Fridays before Easter—at least 500 pounds a week, estimates Mike Renk, longtime chair of the fish fry at St. Ferdinand. “That’s 700-1,000 meals every week.”

But for a fair number of fish fry aficionados, what makes a particular event not just good but great depends on the side dishes.

Which is where things get sticky.

For some, any fish fry worth its kosher salt (and malt vinegar) offers all the traditional accompaniments we tend to associate with a fish dinner: coleslaw, french fries, haluski. And this being Pittsburgh, pierogi, especially if they’re rolled, stuffed, and pinched by local fingers.

For others, it’s all about variety and being able to try side dishes that are just a little bit different. Something a little bit spicier than what you grew up eating, maybe, or dishes that speak to the ethnicity of the congregants who volunteered to cook and prepare the food and ready the orders.

St. Thomas the Apostle serves hundreds of pierogi made in McKeesporteach week, for instance, and they also fill untold plates with buttery haluski made with a classic mix of cabbage, onion, and noodles. But guests also can enjoy a limited amount of “Old World” haluski made with potato dumplings instead of noodles.

“And it sells out every week,” Fonos says.

The parish is also unique in that it’s the only one in the area to offer shrimp and scallop Alfredo, a creamy (and filling) pasta dish made with Parmesan, heavy cream, and butter.

Getting people to return for the same food week after week can be challenging, Fonos explains, “so we want to try different things, which keeps people coming back. The whole thing is, we want to give people choices and variety.”

For Pittsburgh Shrines, which holds fish fries at three locations, including at Cellar on Penn in the Strip District, offering the occasional “chef’s special” can help draw in customers who might not be in the mood for one of the 200-plus fish dinners it serves each week. Any takers for eggplant Parmesan or, perhaps, broccoli and shells?

“We usually don’t announce [what it will be] in advance because people like the suspense,” says director of operations Tony Giordano.

One thing diners can count on each week: the parish’s “unbelievable” ethnic bake sale.

“All of the beautiful Polish bubkas come out and bake thee wonderful Polish pound cakes, homemade sweet bread, nut rolls, and lady locks,” Giordano says.

Our Lady of Victory Maronite Church in Beechview, which draws congregants from Pittsburgh’s Lebanese community, is another that takes advantage of the public’s growing interest in ethnic foods to attract Lenten meal customers. Along with french fries, mac and cheese, and coleslaw, its fried and baked fish can be paired with traditional Lebanese side dishes like lubia (green beans cooked in tomato), falafel, and red lentil soup.

“People want a variety, and they enjoy our food because it’s something different,' says Anne Ayoob, Lenten meal coordinator. ”And it helps [shed light] on our culture.”

At St. Sava in McKeesport, the first Serbian Orthodox parish established east of the Mississippi River and the third oldest in the U.S, the global flavors include bean and sauerkraut soup, apple strudel, palacinke (Serbian crepes), and nut/apricot/poppy seed rolls.

The bake sale at St. Elias Byzantine Catholic Church in Munhall features Hungarian csoroge, deep-fried ribbons of pastry dough served warm with powdered sugar.

And if you happen to be in the South Hills on a Friday during Lent, Christ United Methodist in Bethel Park has two options for those who'd rather not partner fish with their fresh-cut fries or mac and cheese: chicken fingers,or battered shrimp tossed in a spicy-sweet boom-boom sauce.

“It’s just a unique taste—not too spicy but a little bit spicy,” says kitchen manager Lisa Augustine, who guesses she'll serve around 80 pounds of the seafood each week during Lent. “It’s not as heavy as the fried shrimp you find at a fish fry. It’s just ... different.

The same could be said for the beer-battered grilled cheese sandwiches being dished up by the Swissvale Fire Department. To each their own!

Boom-Boom Shrimp

PG tested

Serves 4.

This tasty seafood dish isn’t a side per se, but it is one of the more unusual dishes served at local fish fries in Pittsburgh. The slightly spicy “boom-boom” sauce is made with mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, and sriracha.

I marinated the shrimp in buttermilk and tossed them in cornstarch to make the dish gluten-free, but other recipes call for dredging it in a flour mixture. Some also use egg in the batter.

For boom boom sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons sriracha, or more to taste
• Pinch of salt

For shrimp

• 1 pound large raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, rinsed, and patted dry
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Make sauce: Combine mayonnaise, chili sauce, sriracha, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk to combine, taste to see if it’s spicy enough (if not, add more sriracha) and set aside while you prepare shrimp.

In large bowl, whisk together cornstarch, garlic powder, white pepper, and salt.

Working in batches, dredge the shrimp in cornstarch mixture, shake off excess and place on plate or sheet pan while you heat oil.

In a large skillet heat oil to 325 degrees F.

Place 4 or 5 shrimp at a time in the hot oil and cook for around 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown and shrimp is opaque.

Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel-lined plate or rack. Repeat with remaining shrimp.

Once all shrimp are cooked, add them to the bowl with the sauce and toss very gently to coat. (You don’t want to knock off the coating.)

Slide onto a platter. If desired, garnish with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve immediately.

Recipe by Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Haluski

PG tested

Serves 6.

Haluski is a humble, old-school dish made from cabbage, onions and noodles that originated in Eastern Europe and was brought to the U.S. in the early 19th century. There are as many recipes for it as there are cooks; the cabbage-to-noodle ratio depends on who is making it. Some add kielbasa or bacon for extra flavor.

I used homemade egg noodles, but you could easily substitute a 12-ounce package of dried egg noodles.

For cabbage

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 2 pounds green cabbage (about 1 small), core chopped and leaves thinly sliced

For noodles

• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 1/2 -2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large Dutch oven or frying pan, melt 8 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring every so often, until onion is lightly browned and starting to caramelize, 3-6 minutes.

Add cabbage, season again with a little salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender but not mushy, 35-40 minutes.

While cabbage is cooking, make noodles.

Mix eggs, milk, and salt together in large bowl until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of flour until smooth. Add additional flour, a small spoonful at a time, until the dough comes together in a ball but is still slightly sticky.

Dump dough out onto a floured surface and knead with your hands until it is no longer sticky, about 3 minutes. Cover with a damp paper towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Roll out dough onto a lightly floured counter until it is paper-thin. (I cut the dough into small balls, and used a manual pasta maker machine to roll it out into long, thin strips.)

Use a sharp knife or pizza cutting wheel to slice the noodles into long strips, as narrow or wide you like.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the cabbage is done, remove pan from heat with the lid on. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook until tender to the bite, 2-8 minutes, depending on the size and thickness. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain the noodles.

Add cooked noodles, a little of the reserved pasta water and remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the cabbage. Stir over medium-high heat until the noodles are the desired sauciness (you might want to add more pasta water) and shiny with melted butter, 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve.

Recipe by Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Cheese and Potato Pierogi

PG tested

Makes 24 pierogi.

Most everyone loves a good pierogi, and if you can rustle up a few helpers, they are relatively easy to make.

This recipe has “a wonderfully forgiving dough for beginning bakers,” Casey Barber writes in her 2015 book “Pierogi Love” (Gibbs Smith, $20). She recommends using a kitchen scale to measure the flour by weight; add too much and the dumplings will be tough and chewy.

They’re filled with potatoes and cheese, but the dough works for any savory filling.

For dough

• 2 large eggs, divided
• 1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon water

For filling

• 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 medium or 2 small), cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
• 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk

Whisk egg, sour cream or yogurt, butter, and salt in bowl. Add flour to large bowl. Gently stir wet ingredients into flour. The dough will initially be very dry and shaggy, seeming as if it will never come together, but have no fear: Keep stirring and it will pull itself into shape.

Once dough starts to come together, press and smash it against the sides of bowl with your palms, picking up dough bits and essentially kneading it in the bowl until it forms a ball.

Tip dough and any remaining shaggy flakes out onto a clean work surface. Knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover dough with bowl and let rest 15 minutes. Whisk remaining egg and water in small bowl for egg wash.

Prepare filling: Place potatoes in a medium saucepan. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Uncover and cook until potato are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to the pan. Place over low heat and stir for about 30 seconds to remove excess moisture. Run potatoes through a ricer or food mill fitted with fine disk into bowl.

Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, cheese, and 1 tablespoon cream; consistency should be firm enough to roll into a ball. If filling is too dry, stir in additional 1 tablespoon cream.

Make pierogies: Line a rimmed baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper.

Divide rested dough into 4 equal pieces with a bench scraper or knife. Set aside 3 dough pieces and cover with mixing bowl. Roll remaining dough as thinly as possible into a rough 8-by-12-inch rectangle.

Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 6 rounds of dough. Resist the temptation to re-roll dough scraps for additional rounds. It seems wasteful but dough won’t be as tender the second time around.

Spoon filling into center of dough rounds.

Using your finger, swipe a scant amount of egg wash—just a light touch—around the dough edge.

Fold into a half-moon shape: Either fold dough over the filling on work surface (I call this “the blanket”) or gently cup the pierogi in our hand in a U shape. (I call this “the taco.”)

Gently but firmly seal pierogi by pinching and squeezing edges together with your thumb and pointer finger. Start with 1 pinch at the top, then move to the “corner” of the pierogi and pinch along the edge back to the top. Repeat on opposite side to finish sealing.

Transfer to baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough rounds and filling.

To cook, pierogi can either be boiled (2-3 minutes for fresh, 4-5 minutes for frozen), pan-fried in oil or butter (2 minutes per side), or deep-fried in at least 2 inches of 350-degree F vegetable oil (3 minutes for fresh and 5 minutes for frozen).

Recipe from “Pierogi Love: New Takes on an Old-World Comfort Food” by Casey Barber

Lebanese Green Beans With Tomatoes (Lubia)

PG tested

Serves 4-6.

This easy side dish from Lebanon is often served with rice. It’s one of the most popular side dishes served at Lenten meals at Our Lady of Victory Maronite Catholic Church in Beechview.

Some Lebanese cooks like to brighten the tomato sauce with warm spices such as cinnamon, allspice, or cumin, but they keep it simple at OLOV. “Just salt and pepper,” says organizer Anne Ayoob.

• 1 tablespoon clarified butter (ghee) or olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cup green bean, fresh or frozen, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 15-ounce can petit diced tomatoes
• 15-ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

In large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until translucent, 7-9 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down to low.

Simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until green beans are tender, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings to taste as well as salt and pepper.

Serve warm over rice pilaf or with a side of pita bread.

Recipe from Our Lady of Victory Maronite Catholic Church

Palacinke

PG tested

Makes about 12 9-inch pancakes.

These crepe-like pancakes are a favorite treat in Slavic countries like Croatia and Serbia. Recipes vary, but the batter typically includes flour, eggs, milk, and sugar. For Lenten fish fries at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in McKeesport, the crepes are stuffed with cheese.

This simple recipe comes from Mike Krajacic of Avella, who was featured in a 2020 story in the Post-Gazette. His sister Helen taught him to make this family recipe when she was 95 and he was 88, proving how easy it is to get a plate of them on the table.

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 eggs
• Butter or oil, to cook

In large bowl, mix ingredients until well combined. Batter should be thin.

Heat an 8-inch nonstick crepe pan or skillet. Spray pan with cooking spray or lightly grease with 1 teaspoon butter or oil.

Add about 1/4 cup of batter to the pan, tilting and swirling so it covers all or most of the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. Flip over and brown the second side. Remove to a platter.

Continue with remaining batter, greasing the pan for each pancake, stacking one on top of another on the platter.

Serve filled with apple butter, cottage cheese, strawberries, Nutella, or your favorite jam. You also can eat them plain.

Recipe by Helen Kovacicek, Washington, Pa.

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