Fish Boil (Wisconsin)
intro
An iconic Door County, Wisconsin tradition of flaky boiled whitefish, tender potatoes, and sweet corn, cooked outdoors for casual, communal summer gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Prepare Boil Pot and Burner
Set up a 20-liter (5-gallon) outdoor propane stock pot burner on a flat, heat-safe surface at least 1 meter away from flammable materials like deck railings or dry grass. Fill the pot with 16 liters (17 quarts) of cold water, add the 120g kosher salt, 6g black peppercorns, and 3 bay leaves, then cover and bring to a rolling boil over high heat (12-15 minutes).
Add Red New Potatoes
Once the water reaches a full, vigorous rolling boil, carefully add the 680g whole unpeeled red new potatoes to the pot. Maintain a steady medium-high boil, leave the pot uncovered, and cook for 12 minutes until potatoes are almost tender when pierced with a fork (they will have a slight firm, starchy center at this stage).
Add Onions and Corn
After the potatoes have cooked for exactly 12 minutes, add the 340g quartered yellow onions and 450g cut corn sections to the boiling pot. Stir gently once with a long-handled slotted spoon to submerge all vegetables, keep the water at a steady medium-high boil, and cook uncovered for 4 minutes to slightly soften the onions and corn.
Add Whitefish Steaks
Gently lower the 900g whitefish steaks into the boiling pot in a single even layer, ensuring all pieces are fully submerged (add 250ml extra hot water if needed to cover). Return the water to a gentle medium boil (adjust heat down slightly if it gets too vigorous), then set a timer for 8 minutes, cooking uncovered until the fish flakes easily with a fork and reaches an internal temperature of 63°C (145°F).
Heat to Boil Over
Once the 8-minute fish cook time is up, turn the propane burner to its highest heat setting for 60-90 seconds, until the boiling water foams with white scum and rises 5-7cm above the pot rim, spilling over the sides to carry away excess fish oil and impurities. Immediately turn the burner completely off once the controlled boilover happens.
Remove and Drain Ingredients
If your pot has a fitted inner strainer basket, lift it out and let all food drain for 30 seconds over the pot; if not, remove all ingredients with a long slotted spoon, shaking off excess water. Arrange the drained fish, potatoes, onions, and corn on a large communal wooden platter lined with paper towels, drizzle evenly with the 113g melted unsalted butter, and serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
Tips
2.Skip the traditional kerosene-fueled boilover for home cooking: cranking the burner to maximum heat as directed creates a safe, controlled overflow that removes fish scum without the fire risk of adding fuel to an open flame.
3.Always use bone-in, skin-on whitefish steaks cut at least 2.5cm thick: thin, boneless, skinless fillets will break apart and turn mushy in the rolling boil, while bone-in steaks hold their shape and have richer flavor.
OMG, this was such a hit at our extended family dinner last weekend! I grew up going to Door County every summer as a kid and I’ve been chasing that perfect fish boil taste for years, and this recipe nailed it. My kids even went back for seconds, which never happens with white fish! The only swap I made was using red potatoes instead of yellow because that’s what I had in the pantry. 10/10, will be making this for our Labor Day potluck for sure!
Really solid recipe, cooked this up on my outdoor burner for the guys during our football watch party. The flavor was spot on, though I will say I overcooked the fish the first go-round because I misjudged how fast it cooks in that boiling pot. Next time I’ll set a timer like the recipe says instead of guessing! Would’ve been a 5 if I didn’t mess up the fish texture, but everyone raved about the potatoes and onions regardless.
Game changer! I’ve been looking for a fun, interactive dinner to make when we have friends up to our cabin, and this was perfect. Everyone gathered around the pot while it cooked, told stories, and we ate off paper plates with tons of lemon wedges and coleslaw on the side. Felt like a proper summer feast without a ton of fancy prep. SO good.
Tasted good, but man, medium difficulty is no joke! I made a huge mess on my stovetop when the water boiled over, and I swear my whole apartment smelled like fish for two days after. Maybe this is better for people with outdoor cooking setups? I followed the directions exactly, but my stovetop just couldn’t handle the big pot needed for all the ingredients. Probably won’t make it again in my tiny apartment, but I’d eat it if someone else made it!
Brought this to our neighborhood block party and people were lined up for seconds! I was worried the fish would be too bland for our Southern crowd, but that seasoned boil and the butter drizzle had everyone asking for the recipe. I served it with hushpuppies and tartar sauce on the side, which was the perfect pairing. Already got three texts this morning asking when I’m making it again!
Took my grandkids fishing last week and caught a mess of whitefish, so I looked up a fish boil recipe to use it up. This took me right back to the fish boils I went to when I was stationed up near Door County in the Army. Tasted exactly like I remembered, and the grandkids thought it was the coolest thing ever to watch the pot boil over like that (we did it outside on the turkey fryer, thank goodness). Saved this recipe to my old recipe box, will be a family staple from now on.
Made this for my Sunday meal prep, and it reheats way better than I thought it would! I portioned it out into containers with a side of roasted broccoli, and it made 6 full servings for my work lunches this week. The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is I wish the recipe had a note about how long it keeps in the fridge — I guessed 4 days and so far it’s holding up great!
I’ve been to actual Door County fish boils a half dozen times, and I was skeptical a home recipe could live up to the real deal. Let me tell you — this is spot on. The boil time for the potatoes was exactly right, the fish was flaky and not overdone, and even the traditional boil over trick worked when I tossed the last bit of butter in (pro tip: stand back when you do that if you’re on an outdoor burner, I splattered butter on my hoodie lmao). 10/10, no notes.
So happy this recipe is naturally gluten free! I’ve been looking for fun weekend dinners I can make for my whole family without having to swap a million ingredients for my celiac kid, and this was perfect. No weird hidden gluten, just simple, hearty food that everyone devoured. We did ours outside on the propane burner and it was such a fun Friday night activity, even the dog hung around waiting for scraps. Will absolutely be making this again all summer long.