Fish Creek

We left our peaceful anchorage after a very quiet night, and came about five miles south down the coast to Alibi Marina at Fish Creek, WI. It is a lovely spot with many restaurants, shops, and waterfront to explore. 

We were told to attend a Door County Fish Boil while we were in Wisconsin, and Fish Creek was the perfect place for it! The Fish Boil idea started with the Scandinavians in this area over 150 years ago. It was a way for many people, working in the timber and fishing businesses, to come together and share a meal. 

Our dinner was prepared for about 20 people, and they serve a different group every 30 minutes!
35 gallons of water and 10 pounds of salt are boiled in a stainless steel pot, over an open fire. The salt helps the water boil at a higher temperature, adds flavor, plus it keeps the pieces of fish from falling apart. 

Small red potatoes are added to the pot first, followed later by sweet onions, and finally, whitefish steaks, in their own stainless strainer-pot, are added to the water. When the fish is cooked, an oily scum coats the surface of the water. To remove the oil, two cups of fuel oil are added directly to the fire at the base of the pot. Flames leap over 8 feet in the air, the water boils intensely, and the oily scum boils over and out of the pot! The meal is now finished!!! 

For $14.50 we had red potatoes, an onion, cole slaw, pumpernickel bread, and whitefish with melted butter...cherry pie, and a beverage!!! Plus entertainment while the meal was being cooked. AND we enjoyed the fish! It sounds plain, but the salt permeates the potatoes and fish, plus the butter...made it very tasty.

Now for my pictures....

 You can just see the onions floating on the water. The potatoes had been cooking for at least 10 minutes at this point. (The limestone cliff in the background looks like the ones on Georgian Bay.)

 Locally caught whitefish...just like in Tobermory!

 You can see the "chef" carefully adding the extra fuel.

"Boil over" is occurring!!!

The winds will be around 25 knots tomorrow...a good day to stay in port. We are looking forward to going to the theatre tomorrow night to see a musical called "Cheeseheads." Can you tell we are in WI??? 

Stay tuned....