The Knights of the Holy Smoker are serving up some delicious fish dinners during Lent

It’s 3:45 p.m. on a Friday afternoon in March, and the wood smokers in the parking lot are set at 250 degrees.

The secret BBQ rub has been sprinkled on the fresh salmon. Knights of Columbus Grand Knight Mike Pollock, the “Knights of the Holy Smoker” and nearly 100 volunteers who have been working almost three hours have their game on again. In just one hour, a Lenten Fish Fry at Saint Michael the Archangel Catholic Church on 143rd & Nall in Leawood will begin.

And this is not their first rodeo! Six Fish Frys a year during Lent. Seventeen years of Fish Frys now in the record books. That is a lot of fish frys. Multiply that by close to 675 people served per week, not including almost 100 to-go dinners.

That’s more than 79,000 dinners. My friends, that’s a lot of wood smoked salmon, fried talapia fish, shrimp, french fries, homemade macaroni and cheese, wild rice, vegetables, cheese pizza, salad and rolls.

Did I mention pasta & shrimp? Oh, I almost forgot the homemade desserts provided by by American Heritage Girls. And this is all served in only two hours (4:45 to 6:45 p.m.) and all prepared by the Knights of Columbus Chapter 12577 started in 1999, before the Church was even built.

A few years later they decided to do a Lenten fish fry. In 2006, the Knights wanted to add to the menu and began smoking salmon. That’s when they took on the BBQ team name Knights of the Holy Smoker.

My wife, Lisa, and I have wanted to attend a Lenten Fish Fry for a long time but it always seems that on Fridays, it’s very hard for me to get away from my own restaurant. Thanks to our family’s good friends Jackie & Ralph Wing’s recent invite, we were able to experience a Catholic Fish Fry first hand.

Ralph is also a member of the Knights of Columbus and Knights of the Holy Smoker. And let me tell you, we were just overwhelmed from the minute we walked in.

Can you imagine cooking 300 pounds of tilapia, 15 cases of shrimp and smoking 120 pounds of fresh salmon? That does not even include all the side dishes, organization, set up and clean up. Believe me when I tell you, it was all just so delicious.

Seriously hot and crispy fish and shrimp along with fresh side dishes that can compete with any kitchen in Kansas City. And they even think of the little things such as malt vinegar, cocktail and tartar sauce. This chef and wife were very impressed.

Sitting with friends and family at a Friday church fish fry doesn’t get any better. Catholics abstain from eating meat, pork and poultry on Fridays during Lent, recognizing Christ's suffering on the cross. What better way to observe this tradition then to attend a church fish fry?

Now back to this smoked salmon. I have traveled the country, enjoyed fresh salmon right off the boat in Alaska, eaten at some of the best seafood houses from coast to coast and this salmon ranked right up there.

The Knights of the Holy Smoker have a secret rub that is not too hot and not too mild, somewhat spicy and a little sweet with incredible depth of flavor. I really liked the blend of premium spices and natural seasonings. Such a bold and robust finish.

This made me somewhat interested in the smoker I saw in the parking lot when we arrived.

After our dinner and way too much dessert (hey, when someone puts out homemade cake, brownies, pies and more, this chef does not it turn down) my friends Mike and Ralph gave us a look at the smoker, inside and out.

They explained the whole process, the smoking, the wood and the secret rub. Wow, these Knights take the Lenten Fish Fry to a whole new level. They are not playing games and can easily stand with local barbecue competitors and legendary restaurants.

If you don’t believe me, you need to attend the Saint Michael the Archangel Fish Fry yourself. There are only two Fridays left in lent before Good Friday and Easter. Judge for yourself, you won’t be disappointed.

Why do they do all of this? It’s very simple. The Knights of Columbus are a 136-year-old service fraternal service organization dedicated to providing charitable services, including war and disaster relief, actively defending Catholicism in various nations, and promoting Catholic Education.

The Saint Michael the Archangel Knights like to say “come for the food and be hospitable. It’s all about great food, fellowship and fun.” They sure do a good job of this and raise a lot of money and awareness. And they have fun doing it.

One thing is for sure, we will be back at the table again. I have been spoiled and that is a good thing. These Knights of Columbus deserve a blue ribbon!

Chef Jasper J. Mirabile Jr. of Jasper’s runs his family’s 62-year-old restaurant with his brother. Mirabile is a culinary instructor, founding member of Slow Food Kansas City and a national board member of the American Institute of Wine and Food. He is host to many famous chefs on his weekly radio show “Live! From Jasper’s Kitchen” on KCMO 710 AM and 103.7 FM. He also sells dressings and sauces.

This story was originally published March 15, 2018 at 2:09 PM with the headline "The Knights of the Holy Smoker are serving up some delicious fish dinners during Lent."