In the 1950s, the late Bob Hecht volunteered to help put on a fish fry for the Knights of Columbus of which he was a member. He got the hang of it and soon was doing fish fries for organizations and churches north of Dayton, where he and his wife, Betty, lived with their family of three girls and six boys.
“As time went by, the family moved south to Kettering and Centerville and other south suburbs, and our fish fries moved with them,” said Betty Hecht, who still shows up to make sure everything goes well.
“They all have careers and families now, so it’s like a reunion in January and through April, the Lenten season. We do an average of eight to 10 fries a year.”
St. Francis of Assisi parish on Wilmington Pike holds two fries a year: one in early November and another during Lent. The Athletic Association of St. Albert the Great Parish on Far Hills Avenue in Kettering sponsors an early January fish fry to support the various athletic teams at its kindergarten through eighth grade school.
“The Hecht family comes in with the fish and the trimmings, and the event becomes a success,” said Matt Mancz, a former leader of the Athletic Association. “With eight or more in the kitchen, they work like a well- oiled machine.”
Ned Hecht, 51, has been part of the family fish fries since he was 16. “Top quality Atlantic cod is ordered through King-Kold in Vandalia, which also supplies the slaw and french fries,” he said. “For small groups like the Knights of Columbus at St. Leonards in Centerville, we order about 150 pounds of fish, but for larger groups like Incarnation Parish in Centerville and Alter High School in Kettering, we’re handling 1,200 pounds. Our sister, Ann Scott, does the scheduling and ordering. Mike, Pat and Jim Hecht and nieces and nephews and cousins have all been part of the fish fries that Dad started years ago. We bring our own equipment if the kitchen doesn’t have what we need. We make our cost, and that’s about it.”
The recipe includes an egg wash, let dry, then lightly coat with a mixture of cracker meal and corn meal. Then salt and pepper and deep fry.
Contact this columnist at (937) 433-1552 or adeleauk4737@sbcglobal.net.
About the Author