Lighthouses and Fish Boils

Welcome to the Cape Cod of the West, complete with 10 lighthouses, 5 beautiful state parks and 300 miles of shoreline! Door County, Wisconsin is located on a peninsula surrounded by the cool blue waters of Lake Michigan. It is a place of endless beaches, fish boils, breathtaking sunrises and art galleries. Here you can do it all, or do nothing at all. Some of the favorite area activities are winery tours, lighthouse tours, biking, canoeing, antiquing and fishing. And if you like beaches, grab a towel and get ready for Midwest beaches at their best! Flat or dunes, crowded or secluded. You can go wild on a wave runner or sit quietly with a good book. Morning person? Watch the sun rise over the eastern side. Night owl? Enjoy a golden sunset on the western side.

If you go, check out the Sturgeon Bay Fish Canal and Coast Guard Station. It may not sound like the primo vacation stop, but you won’t be disappointed. The lighthouse and breakwater pier are two of the most photographed subjects in the country. Or…visit Mountain Park on Washington Island and climb the 184 steps to the top of the wooden lookout tower for an amazing view of Door Country.

Like eating? Fish boils are one of the big things here. They are often done outside in a big kettle over a fire, but you can make a stovetop version too. (See recipe below.) Basically a fish boil is fish, potatoes and onions all boiled together in salted water. Not a fish lover? Don’t worry – there’s plenty of other good stuff to eat in Door County! Here’s a link to Door County’s Dining Guide and Fish Boils brochure:
http://www.doorcounty.com/pdf/brochure/FishBoils.pdf

WISCONSIN FISH BOIL RECIPE (Serves 6)
(from Cooks.com)

Notes: Use large fish such as lake trout, browns, steelhead, whitefish or coho. Fresh fish are preferred but frozen may also be used. Allow frozen fish to stand at room temperature until they have thawed. Select or cut uniform size potatoes to insure proper cooking. Use scrubbed new potatoes if available. Cut a thin slice from each end. Do not peel.
Onions optional. Peel whole fresh onions. Allow one per portion.

6 med. sized potatoes
6 onions (optional)
1 c. salt
4 lbs. fresh fish steaks (about 12 steaks)
Drawn butter, parsley and lemon

1. Heat 5 quarts water. Bring to boil.
2. Boil potatoes with salt 18 minutes; place potatoes in basket and lower into boiling water. Cover. Bring to a boil. Add onions and 1 cup salt. Cover and start on medium heat. Boil 18 minutes. Regulate heat to produce a steady roll action boil with vents open.
3. Boil fish 12 minutes and test for doneness: add fish. Cover and boil 12 minutes. To test for doneness spear a potato and a fish steak. Do not over cook. The cooking time may vary 2-3 minutes either way depending upon the size of the potatoes and the size of the fish steaks. Cook fish only until it can be flaked easily with fork.
4. Drain and serve with drawn butter, parsley and lemon.
5. Trimmings: Cole slaw, pickles, garlic bread, butter for potatoes, a beverage and pie are the traditional fare of the fish boil.