Please help us spread the word and rock the vote for Ken Norris and Portland’s craft seafood scene!

“Why he’s amazing? Because as a skilled and innovative chef with a fierce dedication to sustainability, he’s the answer to fish-lovers’ dreams in the Northwest.” – Food & Wine

We will be running catch-inspired specials all week long in honor of the nomination, so we hope to see you!

Thank you for all your support and don’t forget to vote!

Best,

Ken, Jennifer and the Riffle NW team

Riffle NW, a catch-inspired seafood restaurant known for its quality cuisine and ambitious cocktail program is teaming with legendary Las Vegas seafood chef Rick Moonen for a pop up dinner in Portland on February 28th.

“I am really excited to be partnering with fellow former New Yorker Chef Ken Norris, and cooking alongside him for our upcoming dinner at Riffle NW,” said Chef and cookbook author Moonen. “Ken and I have a lot in common and not only share a passion for fresh, sustainable seafood, but also aim to glorify the protein by treating it with respect and altering it as little as possible, letting the natural beauty of the dish shine through.”

The fit is natural enough as Norris continues to push for changes in the way fish is sourced and caught not only in the Pacific Northwest, but everywhere – something that garnered Riffle NW ‘Catch of the Year’ from Portland Monthly. As for Moonen, the former Top Chef Masters contestant and Top Chef judge has garnered accolades for himself and his restaurant, Rick Moonen’s rm seafood at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, since 2005. In 2008, Moonen published Fish without a Doubt a practical, hands-on guide to buying, preparing and cooking a wide variety of seafood.

This incredibly unique dinner at Riffle NW will feature six courses – three dishes from each chef in an alternating manner – a dessert, plus a chowder amuse from each chef, because what’s a Rick Moonen dinner without his signature dish?

As Riffle NW is known for its ambitious cocktail program under bar manager Brandon Josie, a 50-dollar ‘Drinks’ pairing is optional for the meal. The imbibing menu will have both a couple of Josie’s concoctions as well as a few wines. It’s a playful way to pair drinks with the ambitious food that will include lobster burrata, a Thai papaya salad with seared scallops, oysters and a branzino from Chef Moonen that will delight Riffle NW regulars used to Norris’s take, among other items.

Norris too is excited for Moonen’s arrival, as it’s another way to focus on how seafood is caught, cared for and consumed.

“My personal goal is to make Portland known as a seafood town, using all of the incredible resources around us, so that we are on par with Seattle and San Francisco,” he said. “Rick Moonen is a longtime, high-profile, devoted advocate for sustainable fisheries. We want this dinner to draw attention to our shared missions for fisheries and their environments, but most importantly, it will be a couple of days of fun.”

To book your seat, contact Riffle NW at 503-984-8978 or email them at info@rifflenw.com. Cost for the dinner: $95.

About Riffle NW:
In Portland’s iconic Pearl District sits Riffle NW, a catch-inspired seafood restaurant marked by a distinctive and unwavering passion for thoughtful-sourcing and skillful preparation of the freshest ingredients available. Executive Chef Ken Norris’s seafood-focused dishes reflect the sense of simplicity you find in the beach and coastal regions around the world. The dishes at Riffle are uncluttered and straightforward with each element thoughtfully rendered and deeply flavored. Seafood and produce are approached in the same way: source the freshest and finest product, treat it with respect, and enable it to shine on its own. The terroir-focused wine program and ice-inspired cocktail program add to the unique offerings of Riffle NW.

Chef Rick Moonen and Rick Moonen’s rm seafood
Since opening Rick Moonen’s rm seafood at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in 2005, both the restaurant and Chef Moonen have enjoyed critical acclaim from some of the country’s top news organizations. For more than 25 years, Chef Rick Moonen has been one of the country’s leading advocates for the sustainable seafood movement, bringing national awareness to this subject. Rick Moonen’s rm seafood showcases this commitment to sustainability without foregoing culinary creativity and innovation. In 2008 Chef Moonen accomplished a lifelong dream with the publication of his cookbook Fish Without a Doubt, a practical, hands-on guide to buying, preparing and cooking a wide variety of seafood. That same year his signature Catfish Sloppy Joe was highlighted in Esquire magazine’s “Sandwich Encyclopedia,” prompting a guest spot on The Oprah Winfrey Show where he served the talk show queen this signature dish and it earned the title of “Best Sandwich in America.” In 2009 he was a guest judge on Bravo’s Top Chef Las Vegas and later that year was a contestant on Top Chef Masters. In 2010, Rick was invited back to compete on Top Chef Masters 2, where he was the runner-up, raising both national awareness and thousands of dollars for Three Square Las Vegas. In 2011 Monterey Bay Aquarium honored Rick as “Chef of the Year” for his tireless efforts towards sustainability. Follow Rick on Facebook.com/ChefRickMoonen and Twitter @RickMoonen.

Leave with three classic cocktail formulas and great party tricks! For reservations, please call us at 503-894-8978 or email info@rifflenw.com and specify your first and second Tuesday of choice. Classes start next week on January 29. We look forward to seeing all of you at Riffle soon!

The complete menu, with beer pairings, is listed below!

Riffle NW & Burnside Brewery Beer Dinner
January 28, 2013 at 6:30 PM

Welcome Snacks
Salmon Rillettes with House Crackers
Sea Urchin & Quail Egg Shot
Urchin Ale

One
Shigoku Oyster Shooter
IPA, Roe, Calabrian Chiles

Two
Seafood Sausage Corn Dog
Poblano Sauce
Gratzer

Three
Crispy Prawn with Sweet Heat & Cheddar Soup
Sweet Heat

Four
Albacore Tuna Burger
House Brioche, Sweet Bacon Aioli
Pale Ale

Five
Molten “Mounds” Cake
Almond Joy Porter

Best,
Ken & Jen Norris

2 1⁄2 lbs. boneless skinless albacore, bluefin or yellowfin tuna loin
3 tsp. kosher salt
Olive oil

1. Bring a 6-quart pot of water to a boil. Place 6 half-pint canning jars along with their bands and lids in the boiling water for 30 seconds. Using tongs, transfer the jars, bands, and lids to a kitchen towel on a counter and let air-dry.

2. Wash tuna; trim off and discard the dark blood line and any connective tissue.

3. Cut tuna into 2 1⁄2″ x 3″ chunks. Pack the chunks of tuna into the jars, cutting them to fit as necessary, leaving 1″ of space at the top. (Use any scraps of tuna to fill gaps along the sides of the jars.) Sprinkle 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt into each jar and pour in enough olive oil to cover the tuna, leaving exactly 3⁄4″ of space below each rim.

4. Using a table knife, pry the tuna away from the sides of the jars to allow oil to fill any air pockets. Wipe the rims clean with a hot damp towel, seal with the lids, and screw the bands on.

5. Put the rack in the bottom of a 10 1⁄2-quart pressure canner and place the sealed jars on top of it. Pour in enough boiling water to fill canner by 2″ to 3″. Lock the top of the pressure canner in place according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Remove the pressure regulator cap or dial gauge from the steam vent and set it aside.

6. Heat the canner over high heat, allowing steam to release from the vent for 10 minutes, in order to remove most of the air from the canner. Carefully cover the steam vent with the pressure regulator cap or dial gauge. When the pressure gauge reads 11 lbs., process the jars for 1 hour and 40 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to keep the pressure at 11 lbs. If the pressure dips below 11 lbs., stop timing, bring the canner back up to the correct pressure by increasing the heat, and resume timing. (When using this recipe at altitudes of 1,000 feet and higher, add 1 more minute of processing time per 1,000 feet of additional elevation.) Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to drop to zero, 30–45 minutes. Remove the pressure gauge. Wait for 2 minutes, then lift off the top of the canner, taking care to avoid any residual steam.

7. Using tongs, transfer the jars to a kitchen towel on the counter and let cool for 12 hours. (If the jars are greasy, wipe them with a towel dipped in white vinegar.) Check the seals by removing the bands and lifting the jars by their lids. If the jars are properly sealed, the lids should hold tight. If the jar opens, refrigerate it right away and eat the tuna within 2 days. Otherwise, store canned tuna in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate after opening.

Neighborhood Night features one off-menu dish inspired by favorite home cooked meals, family recipes or whatever the crew at Riffle NW is craving that night. Expect everything from PNW Crab Boils to Barbeque Nights; sometimes specials might be accompanied by buckets of beers or seasonal punches. The most important thing to remember is that Neighborhood Night is about comfort and cravings, and having a good time.

Riffle NW’s Neighborhood Night kicks off this Sunday, August 12th, at 5 PM featuring one of Ken’s favorite dishes, Sausage & Peppers ($10) featuring house made spicy sausage, sautéed red, orange and yellow bell peppers served on a lightly toasted Semolina Riffle Roll with a market salad.

Neighborhood Night specials are available Sunday nights only on a first come, first serve basis. Prices vary and stay tuned for upcoming menus on Facebook. For more information about Riffle, please visit http://www.RiffleNW.com.

Rock Sole – Canada & Alaska – Rock Sole is a mild, tender fish with an irresistible buttery flavor. The best quality that we’ve seen on the west coast comes from the waters of Alaska. They hang out on the sand and gravel of the ocean floors, hence the name Rock Sole. These rock dwellers will be taking the place of Petrale Sole on our August menu. The fish will be whole roasted, boned and served with a simple pan sauce. We don’t discard the bones, though, we fry them and serve them with the fish for an additional crunch.

Red Canadian Sea Urchin – Canada – It’s no secret, we LOVE Sea Urchin at Riffle NW. We source our Sea Urchin from the coasts of Canada. Here we find a thriving and tasty urchin population, which are delicately collected by hand with attention to the surrounding environment. Quality urchin is meant to be prepared simply. How to tell the quality? It’s all about a firm texture, which gives the best overall flavor.

Scallops – Alaska – We order our Weathervane Scallops from Alaska where the harvest area is set at the foot of the Augustine Volcano. The scallops are bathed in a cold volcanic sand bed — the cold water adds overall sweetness. We serve these medium to firm scallops with Romesco, a classic Spanish sauce, and charred seasonal onions. Note: This is Jennifer’s favorite dish, so we’ll have it on the menu as long as possible!