Door County Fish Boil
intro
A beloved communal Wisconsin tradition of briny boiled whitefish, potatoes, and onions, finished with a dramatic boil-over to cut rich fish oils.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep outdoor boil station
Set a 19L (5 gallon) heavy-gauge stockpot on a sturdy outdoor propane burner or open fire grate, positioned at least 3 meters (10 feet) from flammable structures or materials. Fill the pot with 12L (3 gallons) of cold tap water, add 120g kosher salt, 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns, and 3 bay leaves, then cover and bring to a rolling boil over high heat (12-15 minutes).
Boil the red potatoes
Once the water reaches a hard, churning rolling boil, remove the pot lid and carefully add the whole scrubbed unpeeled red potatoes. Maintain a steady medium-high rolling boil (do not turn down heat enough to stop bubbling) and cook uncovered for exactly 12 minutes, until potatoes yield slightly when pierced with a paring knife but do not split open.
Add onion quarters
After the potatoes have cooked for 12 minutes, gently lower the peeled, quartered yellow onions (kept intact at the root end to prevent pieces from separating and dissolving) into the boiling pot. Maintain the medium-high rolling boil, and cook uncovered for an additional 8 minutes, until onion edges turn soft and translucent.
Cook the whitefish
Once the onions have cooked for 8 minutes, carefully lower the 900g of skin-on whitefish steaks into the pot, preferably in a stainless steel wire mesh boil basket for easy removal. Return the water to a steady medium-high rolling boil, and cook the fish uncovered for exactly 10 minutes; done fish will flake easily when prodded with a fork and float near the water surface.
Do signature boil-over
After the fish has cooked for 10 minutes, turn the burner to its highest heat setting (for traditional open-fire setups, add 1 tbsp of kerosene directly to the fire below the pot, never into the water, with extreme caution) to trigger a vigorous, foamy boil-over that lasts 30-45 seconds. This step spills strong, fishy surface oils over the pot edge for a milder, cleaner flavor. Turn off the heat immediately once the boil-over subsides.
Drain and serve hot
Lift the wire boil basket (or use a large slotted spoon to remove ingredients in batches) from the pot, and let all excess briny water drain for 60 seconds. Arrange the fish, potatoes, and onions on a large serving platter, drizzle evenly with 120ml melted unsalted butter, and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
Tips
2.If using the traditional kerosene method for the boil-over, never pour kerosene directly into the water or onto the food, keep a Class B fire extinguisher within arm’s reach, and stand well back to avoid burns from splashing boiling water.
3.Skip add-ins like shrimp, corn on the cob, or smoked sausage common to Low Country boils—authentic Door County fish boils only feature the simple trio of whitefish, potatoes, and onions, served with butter and lemon.
OMG this was such a hit at our neighborhood potluck last weekend! I’ve never been to Door County but always heard about the famous fish boils, so I was nervous to get it right, but the steps were super easy to follow even for a medium-difficulty recipe. The whole family went back for seconds, even my picky 8 year old who swears he hates fish! We did the traditional kerosene boil over trick for fun and all the neighbors thought it was the coolest thing ever. SO good, will be making this all summer long!
Really solid recipe! Cook time was spot on at 45 minutes, which was perfect for a quick weeknight dinner with my partner. I only knocked off a star because I used cod instead of the traditional whitefish, since that’s all my grocery store had, and it was a little flakier than I expected. Still tasted amazing though, the boiled potatoes and onions with that melted butter dip? Game changer. Will definitely grab the right fish next time I make it.
Just finished making this for my dad’s Father’s Day dinner and he RAVED about it! He went to college in Wisconsin and has been talking about Door County fish boils for literal years, saying he could never find a recipe that tasted like the real deal. I was worried I’d mess it up since I’m not the most confident cook, but the instructions were so clear. He said it tasted exactly like the ones he had on trips up north when he was younger. 10/10, already saved this to my recipe folder to make for our next family camping trip!
Taste was great, but I had a couple issues with the recipe. First, I wish it specified how big to cut the potatoes, because mine were still rock hard after the recommended boil time while the fish was fully done. Ended up having to fish all the fish out and boil the potatoes for another 10 minutes, which threw off the whole timing. Also, I felt like the salt amount was way too high for my taste, ended up having to rinse everything off a little before serving. Might give it another go with adjustments though.
Made this for our annual lake trip meal prep and it was perfect! We prepped all the veggies the night before, tossed everything in the big pot on the camp stove, and fed 8 people with zero stress. The lemon butter sauce is to die for, I ended up making a double batch because everyone was dipping their potatoes and even their bread in it. My friends are already begging me to make it again for our trip next month. Game changer for easy group meals when you’re camping!