My good friends Karen and Jerry Elling have a fish fry with their family at least once a summer. They gave me a "how to" lesson on a beautiful summer afternoon. Their recipe and expertise, combined with my outdoor dining room, made for a day at the beach full of good tasting food and cheerful surroundings.

We set up a kitchen area a safe distance from everything. Karen and Jerry brought their propane, outdoor cooking stove, and heated oil in a large deep fat fryer. (A large cast iron frying pan would also work.) A small table nearby served as a workstation, complete with fish batter, a serving platter and water in an antique thermos to use for clean up.

The deck at the water's edge served as the perfect location for our outdoor dining room. I wanted everything to be casual and fun because we were at the beach. I used bright, eye catching colors and "beach friendly" items. I really wanted to embrace the beach and sand rather than fight them. The surrounding benches made a perfect enclosure to help define the dining room and provide more seating.

The picnic table adorned with denim added to the rustic, casual feeling. I used an antique pitcher full of cut flowers, a colander full of lemons, and antique tins with candles for the centerpiece. I laced newspaper with red ribbon to use as casual placemats, keeping grease off the table. After the meal trash could be collected in the pocket of the placemat. (This is especially useful if you choose disposable plates and napkins.) I chose to use old, mismatched skillets as dinner plates and I tied heavy antique silverware to the skillet handle with a red bandana, which also served as a napkin.

The buffet table offered up a mixture of old- time serving pieces and bright colors to create a casual, comfortable and cheery addition to the party. To decorate I used potted flowers adorned with fish baskets hanging from garden poles that I had inserted into the pots. Inside the baskets I placed candles for ambiance, and lemon wedges for color and a fresh scent.

Beverages can be old-fashioned root beer, beer, or lemonade served from an antique thermos. Keep it cool, simple, and plentiful when you're at the beach.

A simple, refreshing dessert was the perfect end to this outdoor meal. I made a Sand Pail Cake and layered it into a clean pail. For fun I served it using a new shovel and tin cups. It was so simple and cute.

DEEP-FRIED FISH
Ingredients:

• Lawry's Season All
• Oven Style Original Shore Lunch
• Smart Start Cereal (crushed)
• Fish Fillets (Crappies, Sunfish or larger fish such as Bass, Walleye, or Northern can be cut into 2-3 inch pieces.)

Pre-soak fish fillets in salt water for 1-2 hours. Drain & rinse. Season fish lightly with Lawry's Season All. Mix two parts Shore Lunch with one part crushed cereal. Put 1/2 coating mixture in a large plastic container with cover. Add six to ten pieces of fish, cover and shake until fish are completely coated with mixture. Remove and put fish in grease preheated to 325 degrees. Cook until done (nicely browned). Remove and drain on paper towel. Repeat process, adding more Shore Lunch/cereal mixture to the container as needed. (Do not add all the Shore Lunch/cereal mixture to the container as it gets soggy and may not adhere to the fish.)
Top with chopped green onions and serve with Tartar sauce, mustard, and malt vinegar.

BEST EVER BAKED BEANS
Ingredients:

• 1⁄2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 small onion
• 1⁄2 c. catsup or BBQ sauce
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 3 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. prepared mustard
• Pepper
• 1 can baby lima beans
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 lg. can B & M Baked Beans
• Bacon

Mix all ingredients. Place strips of bacon on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. (Sausage, hamburger, or ham pieces may be added to make it heartier.)

REDSTONE CORN BREAD
Ingredients:

• 3⁄4 c. corn meal
• 3⁄4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1⁄4 tsp. salt
• 1 1⁄2 T. baking powder
• 4 eggs
• 3⁄4 c. sugar
• 7 oz. cream corn (1⁄2 can)
• 2 oz. diced green chilies, drained well (1⁄2 can)
• 1⁄2 c. butter
• 1⁄2 c. shredded jack & cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together all ingredients in the order given. Pour into greased 8" or 9" iron skillet. Bake 35 minutes. Insert toothpick. If it comes out clean the corn bread is done. If not, continue baking and check with a toothpick every five minutes until done. Serve warm with Redstone Maple Butter.

REDSTONE MAPLE BUTTER
Ingredients:

• 1 pound butter
• 1 c. maple syrup
• 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt

Allow butter to soften to room temperature. In mixer, (using a ladle attachment if available) whip butter and salt until creamy. Slowly drizzle syrup into the mixture until well blended.

SAND PAIL CAKE
Ingredients:

• 2 lg. boxes vanilla instant pudding (Prepare according to 5 minute pudding directions.)
• Four 6-oz. lemon chiffon yogurts (Yoplait custard style works best.)
• 1 pint whipping cream (whipped)
• 2 c. crushed pecan sandie cookies
• 1 c. Swedish fish candy

Put 1⁄2 of the vanilla pudding into the bottom of a clean pail. Next add a layer using the entire amount of lemon yogurt. Continue to layer with 1⁄2 of the crushed cookies, remaining 1⁄2 of the vanilla pudding, then the whipped cream, remaining crushed cookies, and top with Swedish fish.
Other great fish recipes to use at your fish fry:

PICKLED BASS
Ingredients:

• 1 1⁄2 c. vinegar
• 3⁄4 c. sugar
• 3 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. pickling spice
• 1⁄2 large onion, sliced
• Bass fillets

Put cleaned fish fillets into a flat pan, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Turn burner to simmer and cook about 5 minutes. Remove fish from water and let cool. Pack fish and onion in clean, sterilized jars. (Pint or quart size work well.) Bring vinegar, sugar, salt, and spices to a boil. Pour, or ladle, hot liquid over fish and cover with lid. Let cool and refrigerate. Marinate for at least three days before eating.

FISH MARINADE
Ingredients:

• 1 c. olive oil
• 1⁄3 c. lemon juice
• 1⁄2 tsp. salt
• 1⁄4 tsp. pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1⁄2 tsp. thyme

Fish fillets
Mix all ingredients well and marinate fish in a covered container for about six hours in the refrigerator, turning fish after three hours. Drain fish and discard marinade. Cook on grill until done (larger fish 10-15 minutes).

Our thanks to: Mary O'Neal and Co.
219 Water St.
Excelsior, MN 55331
952-470-0205
And to: Redstone American Grill
Minnetonka and Eden Prairie

By Teri Bennett