Door County Fish Boil

Door County Wisconsin Fish Boil

Fish boils have been a staple on the Door County peninsula since the Scandinavians settled there a hundred or more years ago. Churches and civic groups held trout boils regularly. In 1961, the Viking Grill in Ephriam began holding fish boils for its customers. Whitefish was used because it is always in plentiful supply. The whitefish, a mild flavored, deep water fish is brought in daily from the waters of Lake Michigan off the peninsula's coast..

The fish is cut in chunks and cooked in boiling water with small red potatoes. Salt is the only spice used. Fish oils rise to the surface of the boiling cauldron, and when the fish is perfectly done, the Master Boiler tosses a small amount of kerosene on the flames under the pot. The great burst of flames causes the boil over, spilling the fish oils over the side of the pot and leaving the fish perfectly done, steaming hot and ready to serve. Complete the meal with cole slaw, rye bread and cherry pie.

The photos below show the boil at the Old Post Office Restaurant in Ephriam that we went to in July, 2002. We can highly recommend it. The Master Boiler puts on a great show, all the food was great, there was a very nice dining room and plenty of pleasant and helpful waitresses.

	Hardwood coals keep the liquid in the cauldron at a boil. The vertical hardwood slats around the fire are used to shelter the coals from any wind and help maintain a constant heat.

	The Master Boiler is responsible for the timing of the boil. All the ingredients need to go into the pot at the right time and everything must come out and end up on the diner's plate on schedule to make the "perfect" dining experience. He also describes the process and its history.

	The whitefish are cut in 2 or 3 inch sections. Each diner gets two pieces.

	The high point of the show!!! The Master Boiler throws kerosene on the coals and the intense heat causes the boilover that siphons off the fish oils.

	Ready for delivery to the serving table. Add cole slaw and rye bread to the fish, potatoes and onions and, then, finish up with Door County cherry pie.

The Viking Grill gives the following recipe for at-home fish boil. They've cut down the servings to about 1/8 to 1/10 of a normal boil.

At Home Fish Boil - serves 8

16 chunks of Whitefish (2” slices)
16 small red potatoes (ends cut off)
16 small white onions (peeled)
1/2 lb. salt
2 gal. water
Add 1/4 lb of salt to water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and boil for 16 minutes. Add onions and boil for 4 minutes more. Add fish and another 1/4 lb salt, boil for 10 minutes and drain into a colander. Serve with melted butter, lemon and coleslaw.

After the fish boil, is a good time to hike down to Ephriam Center to Wilson's for an ice cream cone. A word of advice, though, while you are waiting for your turn, be sure you observe the size of the scoops before you commit yourself to a double-scoop.