Whenever local attorney Hank Hill throws a party, he does it with gusto. In other words, I don’t eat all day because I know there’s going to a lot of food. Plentiful just doesn’t even cut it. Such was the case for his summer fish fry. And when my husband and I were driving home, I knew right away this was something I was going to try.

Advance planning is key. Hank had a double propane stove on which he placed two large kettles filled with oil for catfish, grouper, shrimp and crab cakes. Be prepared to light the fire far enough ahead of time so it will have plenty of time to heat up.

Now, here’s the “easy” part. Buy the fish and shrimp in bulk from Chattanooga Restaurant Supply on 11th Street. They have catfish, cod, flounder, haddock, mahi-mahi, ocean perch and redfish, among other species. None are breaded. Do that yourself. Buy the shrimp already breaded. Saves time. As for the crab cakes, Hank bought them through a friend. But, buy crabmeat in bulk from THS (Tennessee Hotel Supply) on 12th Street and make your own for deep frying. The cost is $78.80 for 12 pounds. Sounds like a lot, but try pricing it at the grocery store.

Now you’re ready to begin the fish fry. But don’t forget the sides. Hank served hush puppies and french fries, so everything could be done in the pots on the propane stove. Also, wife Karen Nazor Hill made her special tartar sauce which I couldn’t get enough of. She makes it with real mayonnaise. Why go low-fat at a fish fry? To it, she adds chopped onion, chopped dill pickle, a little pickle juice and the secret ingredient: lots and lots of finely chopped capers. About a cup of whole capers, then diced, to a quart and a half of the sauce mixture. No wonder it was so good. In addition, a very good cocktail sauce was served with plenty of horseradish for a tasty kick.

Naturally, you can save money by serving fish only, but as I said, Hank never goes halfway in his cooking. Here’s a simple recipe for crab cakes from cooks.com.

Deep-Fried Crab Cakes

1 pound crabmeat

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Healthy dash of black pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon melted butter

Italian or panko bread crumbs for coating cakes

Oil for frying

Lightly toss crabmeat and all ingredients (except bread crumbs) in order listed. When well-blended, shape into cakes. Roll each cake in bread crumbs until coated on all sides. Heat shortening in skillet. Fry crab cakes quickly in hot fat — 2-3 minutes — until golden brown. Makes 4-6 servings.

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