It’s All About Fish Grease, But More Bout The Batter
Springfield, Mass. - At Fish Grease, it’s all about the batter.
Food truck co-owner and chef Lucius Harris first coats whitefish with his special secret batter recipe, then fries it to golden perfection. It’s a method that he’s refined since he began frying fish that he caught on his own decades ago.
The batter is one reason their soul food is so outstanding, and it’s the reason for the company name, Fish Grease.
“When that fish comes right out of the grease, there’s just something special about that taste,” co-owner LaRena Harris said.
“There’s something in the batter.” Fish isn’t the only item on the menu. There’s LaRena’s favorite, fried lobster, or the fish box complete with shrimp, clams and fries.
“It’s a variety of seafood,” she said. “You can’t lose.”
“When that fish comes right out of the grease, there’s just something special about that taste! ”
No meal would be complete without adding mouth-watering sides from LaRena’s own recipes, like macaroni and cheese, collard greens and candied yams. Many of the dishes are inspired by family recipes. Occasional menu items like chicken and gravy are directly from LaRena’s grandmother, who taught her to cook.
The combination of Lucius’ batter and LaRena’s recipes make for a delicious menu. “We’re a dream team,” she said.
The married couple opened their food truck a year ago after Lucius tracked down someone retiring from the business. He drove to North Carolina on a whim and brought the truck home to Massachusetts. The truck was in excellent condition and required minimal work. They plan to have it wrapped with their logo by this summer.
Over the past year they’ve sold their dishes in rain, sleet and snow. When the weather is particularly bad, customers can wait in their cars with a provided pager.
They’ve been serving their food at Springfield events like the Stone Soul Festival for decades, starting with Lucius’ fish sandwich. That experience transitioned nicely when they began serving from the food truck.
“It’s something we were accustomed to,” LaRena said. “But the food truck is cozier and more organized. It felt right.”
Nowadays the best place to find Fish Grease is near Blunt Park on Roosevelt Avenue. That’s where it’s usually parked twice a week.
Though the couple both hold down other full-time jobs, they enjoy spending time together cooking and seeing regular customers return. In the future they may open a restaurant, but until then just hope to bring their truck to additional locations so more people can enjoy their flavorful soul food.
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