Door County, Wisconsin is famous for an event called a fish boil.
Door County is a pleasant little peninsula just three miles wide that extends north of the city of Green Bay separating the bay of Green Bay from Lake Michigan. It’s an idyllic place, particularly in the summer months, when fruit stands and lighthouses, art galleries and bed and breakfast inns fill with those escaping the heat and entrapments of modern life farther south.
You’ll find no fast food joints in Door County, few chains of any kind. You won’t find many stop signs and fewer stoplights, or many reasons to get in a hurry at all.
But attend a fish boil you must, because that’s what one does when in Door County.
Why Boil Fish?
They’ve been boiling fish for more than 100 years around the Great Lakes. One story goes that Scandinavian fisherman started the practice when coming in from their day on the boat. So hungry that they didn’t want to wait to get to dock, they filled pots of water over the boilers on the boat and dinner would be ready when they reached shore.
Fish boils then became an economical way of feeding large groups of lumberjacks and fishermen. Church and civic groups are known to host them as fundraisers, much like chili suppers in other parts of the Midwest.
More modern legend begins in 1961 with the first commercial fish boil at the Viking Grill in Ellison Bay. Today, about 15 restaurants host fish boils two or three times a week in the summer. Church groups still do them as well. Just look for the hand-painted signs announcing fish boils along the roadways of Door County. That’s about as high-tech as the advertising is in this part of the world.
If the restaurant or civic boil is scheduled for 7 p.m., plan on arriving at least 30 minutes early. Most restaurants offer hors d’oeuvres and drinks, as well as a patio or lawn area to watch and learn about the fish boil.
What Is a Fish Boil:
When you arrive, you’ll see a stack of cedar wood slabs stacked vertically under a 25 gallon pot, either iron or stainless steel, filled with water and about two pounds of salt. Thirty minutes before the boil over, the boil master adds new red potatoes. Some versions include carrots at this time. Ten minutes later, he adds pearl onions. Ten minutes after that, he adds the fish.
As the fish boils, oil escapes and floats to the top of the water. This oil is what gives fish its “fishy” taste.
After about eight to ten minutes, the boil master throws kerosene on the fire, which causes a burst of heat, resulting in the water boiling over out of the pot. With the water, which immediately douses the fire, comes the unwanted fish oil.
Fish Boil Suppers
With that spectacle, accompanied by oohs, aahs and applause from the crowd, everyone retires to the dining area and the wait staff carries the pot to the kitchen where platefuls of boiled fish, potatoes and onions are served up to guests. Cole slaw and a hard, marble rye bread always accompany the plate of boiled goodies. Dessert is a mandatory Door County cherry pie, made from Montmorency cherries.
The price for this feast varies, depending on inclusion of drinks, hors d’oeuvres and dessert, but count on about $12 - $16 per person. Reservations are required. A few restaurants provide assistance throughout the dining room for those guests unfamiliar with the process of skinning and deboning the white fish.
But if you don’t like fish, don’t worry. Most restaurants offer an alternative on fish boil nights, such as chicken, a hamburger or vegetarian dish. However, a complete menu offering is rarely an option.
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