Non-VegetarianWisconsin American cuisine Main Course

Door County Fish Boil

Name: Door County Fish Boil
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Wisconsin American
Ingredients: 3 lb Lake whitefish steaks; 3 lb Small red potatoes; 8 pieces Whole small onions; 1.5 cups Salt; 5 gallons Water; 1 cup Kerosene or fuel oil; 0.5 cup Butter, melted; 2 lemons Lemon wedges

Whitefish, small potatoes, and onions boiled together outdoors in a large kettle, finished with a dramatic boil-over of fish oils.

🇺🇸United States· Wisconsin

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 60 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 380 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

3 lb Lake whitefish steaks
3 lb Small red potatoes
8 pieces Whole small onions
1½ cups Salt — for the boil water, plus more to taste
5 gallons Water
1 cup Kerosene or fuel oil — traditional boil-over accelerant, poured on fire not food
½ cup Butter, melted — for serving
2 lemons Lemon wedges

Equipment

•Large outdoor kettle
•Wire baskets
•Open fire or propane burner

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 380 kcal
fat: 14
carbs: 30
protein: 32
calories: 380

Instructions

1
Fill a large outdoor kettle with water. Bring it to a rapid, bubbling boil over an open fire.
2
Add a generous amount of salt to the water.
3
Put the potatoes and onions in a wire basket and lower it into the boiling water. Cook for about 20 minutes.
4
Lower a second wire basket with whitefish steaks into the same water. Cook for 10 more minutes.
5
For the traditional finish, carefully flare the fire beneath the kettle so the water boils over. This carries away floating fish oils.
6
Carefully lift the baskets of fish, potatoes, and onions out of the water.
7
Serve right away with melted butter and lemon wedges.
8
Finish the meal with a slice of Door County cherry pie for dessert.

Chef's tips

The boil-over step is dramatic but optional for home cooks. You can safely skim the floating fish oils off the top with a spoon instead. Use fresh Lake Michigan whitefish for the most authentic flavor.