How to make friends by frying fish

The last two springs on the night of the fishing opener our group has cooked up the day's catch. Walleye, it seems, never tastes so good as when it is fresh and prepared well to be served hot.

That can be easier said than done when the group is large

This year, for example, we numbered about 16 for dinner, while a year ago we had more than 20.

To serve a group this large, accommodations have to be made so the fish is prepared well, and in fairly large batches. Otherwise, the group is served piecemeal, or some diners inevitably eat their fish cold.

There is a better way, as friends Paul Kreutzfeldt and John Weyrauch showed our group last year, and Weyrauch did this year (Paul couldn't make the opener last weekend.)

The first rule is, Think Big. Also, know going in you'll be cooking the fish outside — which, in any event, is where fish should be cooked.

A large propane cooker is ideal, as is a large pot and fish basket to fit inside it. Critical also is a thermometer to gauge the temperature of the cooking oil.

Some burners outfitted on gas grills can heat oil to this temperature. But others might struggle. Your best bet, in the end, is the stand-alone cooker.

Begin by filling your pot about half way or a little more with oil. Rig the thermometer on the side of the pot. Wait for the oil to heat.

While doing that, dip your fillets in a bowl of beaten eggs. Then place them in a bag of Shore Lunch or similar coating and shake. Remove and set the fillets to the side.

When the oil has reached 350 degrees, place a handful of fillets in the basket and lower it into the pot. The fish won't take long to cook — think minutes — so you'll want to test these first fillets regularly to gauge how quickly they reach perfection.

In most instances, this is achieved so quickly a large batch of (cut-up) fillets can be cooked at once.