Travel-and-Leisure
A Door County Fish Boil - Fresh Fish and a Curtain of Flame
Fish Creek Wisconsin-
It?s another perfect June evening at the White Gull Inn, Wisconsin?s premiere bed and breakfast inn. There is not a cloud in the sky and cool breeze off Green Bay makes this beautiful mid-west summer day even more pleasant. The rustic road leading to the White Gull Inn is presently lined with parked cars, everything from pick-up trucks to exotic imports. Small groups of people excitedly stroll toward the White Gull?s front door and quickly check in at the front desk.
Just as quickly they head through the classic dining room to the Inn?s patio. There a small group of people already is gathered in a circle. At the center of the circle stands a large steaming black cauldron set atop an open cooking fire. Near the cauldron stands a man in shirtsleeves and apron. His welcoming smile and easy manner remind you of a good friend. This man is known as the Master Boiler, and for you he is going to prepare a Door County Fish Boil.
The fish boil is a dining experience unique only to Door County Wisconsin, and one that everyone visitor should experience at least once. After one fish boil most visitors make a fish boil dinner a regular part of each trip to the Door Peninsula.
The fish boil can trace its roots back over 100 years. When explores first arrived in the Door County Peninsula they found the pristine waters of Lake Michigan teaming with freshwater fish. Scandinavian logging teams soon followed the explorers into the area and worked the vast forests. Camp cooks quickly realized the fish boil was a convenient way to feed large numbers of hungry men. To this day the traditional Door County fish boil remains unchanged. Now, as then, the classic fish boil features fresh caught Lake Michigan whitefish cooked outside over an open fire.
The Lake Michigan whitefish are cut into steaks and immersed into the boiling cauldron with small red potatoes. Salt is the only spice used, about 1 pound for every two gallons of water. But the salt is not for seasoning and does not make the meal taste salty. Instead, it raises the specific gravity of the water, and makes everything float. The fish oils that we don?t want to eat foam to the surface of the pot during the cooking process.
Back at the White Gull Inn guests are closely gathered around the master boiler and open cooking pit. More than a few are enjoying a glass of local Door County wine. By now the atmosphere is relaxed and jovial. Everyone lends an ear to the master boiler who speaks as he cooks. A great Master Boiler can make or break the whole affair. He is part chef, showman, and storyteller. While you watch the cooking process the Master Boiler explains the history of the fish boil, tells a few jokes, and fields a host of questions.
All too soon the Master Boiler announces that it ?looks done.? He approaches the cauldron with a tin filled with a small amount of kerosene. He issues a quick warning of ?step back a few feet.? Guest are reminded to get their cameras ready. He pauses for a moment and then tosses the kerosene into the flames beneath the pot. A sheet of flame envelopes the cauldron and superheats it for a moment causing it to ?boilover? flushing the fish oils out of the pot and leaving behind the perfectly cooked steaming fish and red potatoes ready to serve.
Hosts usher guests into the dining room and the piping hot fish and red potatoes are brought into the serving area. Wait staff expertly show first timers exactly how to easily remove every bone in the fish steak in one easy move. Most people eat their fishboil with plenty of lemon and melted butter. The White Gull Inn treats guests to a traditional fishboil, serving up incredible homemade coleslaw and fresh breads. Most Door County fish boil aficionados prefer a glass of wine from one of the many local wineries accompany the meal. For desert it is a slice of famous Door County Cherry Pie accompanied by what other than an ice-cold glass of Wisconsin milk.
After eating your fill and taking leave of the White Gull cap the experience off just right. Make the short walk to the Bay of Green to catch a perfect sunset, just hang a left as you leave the Inn. The White Gull Inn located in Fish Creek Wisconsin is one of the first Door County Inns to serve traditional fish boils. The Inn started offering fishboils back in 1959 and has perfected the process. Over the years the White Gull built an excellent reputation for the perfect Door County Fishboil and has garnished well-deserved national recognition for the effort. The White Gull fish boil is served Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in summer, and on Friday nights in winter. Reservations are requested and during the busy summer months are almost always necessary.
Brenda Braun is a Door County resident and a regular contributor to http://www.door-county-guide.com |
Brenda Braun
Similar articles
5 Reasons Why Cruising Is A Great Value
For many years, taking a cruise for a family vacation was considered an expensive luxury that few people could afford. Most people hardly ever considered a vacation cruise as an option for themselves. Read more →8 Major Reasons Not To Move To Las Vegas
There is no place like Las Vegas in the entire world, therefore people from all over the world come here on a daily basis. Vegas has changed over the years, but most of the changes have occurred in the past 6 to 7 years. Read more →A Foreigner's Attempt at the Japanese Driver's License Test
Once upon a time, there was a young American living in a far off world known as Fukuoka, Japan. This American had lived in the exotic world for a few years when he finally found out (refer to ? Read more →A Look at Utah RV Rentals
To drive from the Great Salt Lake to Canyonlands National Park would take over five hours. The best way to visit them, and all the scenery between, is to rent an RV and make the journey your adventure. Read more →Aphorism
The routines of tourism are even more monotonous than those of daily life.