Hold the tuna casserole; pass the crab cake this Lent

Lent has a strange way of testing the olfactory senses.

To this day, to twist a popular movie phrase, I can’t stand the smell of hot canned tuna fish in the morning – or any other time of day for that matter.

You see, back in the 1960s and 1970s, canned tuna was the go-to staple of Catholic mothers all across America trying to stretch the household budget during Fridays in Lent. Tuna casseroles of various varieties were as ubiquitous as Beatles albums and Volkswagen beetles. With nine of her own children plus other assorted neighborhood strays who found their way to our table, my mom had to resort to canned tuna.

Who knows, heated tuna might still be a popular menu item these days; just not in my household if I have anything to do with it.

I know, we Catholics are supposed to sacrifice for Lent, abstaining from meat on Fridays. However, the heated tuna smell is a little more than I can bear.

This all came to mind this past week when a story surfaced about people in the Midwest being able to partake of muskrat as a meatless option. One of our editors who spotted the story recalled that alligator also was considered a meatless choice in Louisiana.

I don’t know if I’d go for either of those options over tuna casserole, but fortunately here in Maryland we don’t even need to consider it.

In the Land of Pleasant Living, we are blessed with many pleasant meatless options. We live in one of the nation’s seafood capitals, thanks to our proximity to the Chesapeake Bay and other Atlantic fishing grounds.

Therefore, unless you can’t get to the grocery store or don’t have access to DoorDash, there’s really no need to resort to canned tuna the way my mother did. Even if its origin is the Gulf of Mexico or Venezuela, crab meat usually can be found at the store along with abundant options for fish and other seafood delicacies.

Heck, you can even order a cheese pizza if you really get desperate or the crab meat is too pricey. Just don’t pass the heated tuna.

I’m a frequent partaker of crab cakes during Lent or any time of year for that matter. I just can’t resist making my grandmother’s old Baltimore-style recipe; no fillers, just a few pinches of this or that to bind the crab and then sauté it in clarified butter. 

However, my wife is constantly telling me that I’m missing the point about Lent. She tells me “it’s about sacrifice.”

I’m all for Lenten sacrifices. I even gave up ice cream this Lent.

I usually counter my wife’s complaint with “it’s the thought that counts” and gobble down another crab cake.

For more perspective on Lenten meals, read: ‘Pea toast’ and other sacrifices

If you’re looking for a meatless option that doesn’t include muskrat or alligator, the Archdiocese of Baltimore has you covered. Check out the archdiocese’s listing of fish fries this Lent: https://www.archbalt.org/lenten-resources/directory-friday-fish-fries/

Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org

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