This has been a traditional feast for a long time…. dating back to early Native American Tribes that gathered at select river and lake “harvest meeting” locations during the fall Whitefish run (although I don’t know what they used in place of potatoes), and continues to be a favored tradition “Up North” and in other areas located near shorelines of the Great Lakes.
This is a super fun to eat and easy to prepare one pot meal – 12 people enjoyed this last weekend on the deck here, and there were leftovers – if preparing for a smaller group, cut down on ingredients proportionately… judgment call.
I used fresh fish caught locally “Up North” (same day, big difference if you can get it) but “fresh” from your local market or from frozen works well too – any mild tasting fish of your choice can be used.
Pull out your favorite “old” thick vinyl tablecloth, put it on the table then cover with brown paper – I just cut open 4-5 grocery store bags (the up north store still uses brown paper bags).
Place a cooler full of ice, beer, other beverages of choice next to the table.
Put a roll of paper towels at each end of the table, a stack of plates, 4-5 large serving spoons and a pile of forks.
Ok, let’s roll:
5 lbs small redskin potatoes (don’t peel, leave whole and just rinse well before adding to pot)
3 lbs small yellow onions – 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter; some stores call them “boiling” onions; if you can’t find these smaller ones, use the smallest you can find and cut in half, lengthwise.
2 lemons, sliced thin
3 lbs Whitefish, fillets – skin on
2 lbs Salmon (wild caught), fillets – skin on
2 lbs Lake Trout (cold water Mackinac only; Lake Superior/Canada caught), fillets – skin on
The only reason I prefer skin on if available is there are many nutrients and oils that lay between the skin and the meat that are lost if fish is skinned.
And for this batch, I also threw in 4 Walleye fillets only because they were available from the morning fishing trip.
2 cups of kosher salt
3 sticks of REAL butter, melted and kept warm
Above are the ingredients for a great meal; But – Optional, add:
2 to 3 lbs fresh or frozen mussels (don’t eat the ones that don’t open after cooking)
2 to 3 lbs of fresh or frozen (thaw for cooking) 14-16 count raw deveined shrimp, shell on
Using a large, tall 12 quart heavy pot (you might have to borrow one – not usually found in “normal” kitchens, but this kitchen isn’t normal), fill pot 2/3′s with water and bring to a rapid boil… and keep heat high – constant boil til whole meal done is the goal, there should only be a minor recovery back to boil time when adding each new portion.
1. add kosher salt and the redskin potatoes, let boil 20 minutes;
2. add sliced lemons and onions, boil 10 minutes more;
3. add fish (and optional mussels and shrimp if using), boil for ONLY 5 minutes more;
Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes;
Drain hot water (carefully – best with two people handling – use lid cocked and pour in to large colander to catch anything that drops out), then “dump” entire contents of the pot in the middle of your prepared table… grab a plate, a serving spoon and dig in;
Put the drawn butter in a few bowls around the table to spoon on over everything along with plenty of lemon wedges scattered about…
And, Have Fun….
