Fresh Fish Series: NW salmon season has arrived!

WildSalmon

Fresh fish season is rollin’! The 2017 salmon season opens today.

What do you know about salmon? We may turn to the ol’ “interwebs” to discover salmon is full of the omega fat we prefer to eat, and that king salmon is the biggest in the family. You’ll read that they are born from eggs and immediately escape the fresh water river into the salty ocean. Then salmon return back to the same river to spawn as big fatty adults. After swimming around in the great Pacific Ocean for years, how do they know where to come back? Maybe by a built-in magnetic field, or a strong sense of smell they follow. All are still theories; we just don’t quite know.

So if a salmon’s life cycle begins and ends in the same place, what does that do for their genetic make-up? Each river has its own type of salmon profile. The taste, fat content, color and size all attribute from the characteristics of their native river. Copper River for example, provides an extremely fatty, darker colored salmon. Some of these reasons are due to the size of the Copper River, how strong the river flows, and how rugged it is. The vast gorges make for a difficult river to swim up. For that, the Copper River salmon need to grow stronger and store more fat to swim deep into their spawning grounds. All of these salmon share the same strong genetics and pass them down to the next generation.

There have been many chefs at Ray’s and they’ve spent their time perfecting salmon preparation. We utilize almost all salmon species for their many characteristics. For smoked salmon, we love to use Coho or Keta from the Yukon River. They accompany our in-house smoking process so well. Periodically you’ll find the deep red flesh from Sockeye available, and always King salmon. King salmon fetches a fair price for its grand size, its beautiful scales, and the strong flavor it provides, thus being the most popular of them all. I wonder how Coho feels about this? That’s for another segment.

Fisherman will be out searching for King salmon to start the season. Coho, Sockeye, Keta, and Pinks will follow. Salmon runs fresh through the summer and as always, we’ll provide you with wild salmon from the Northwest all summer long. The flavor profile will change based on time of year and region from which the fish originates. So come taste it often and become a “real” Northwest salmon expert.

Until next time…

Steve Hauch, Executive Sous Chef

Ring in the New Year at Ray’s, Dec. 31 + Jan. 1!

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New Year’s Eve

End 2016 on a delicious note in the Boathouse with celebratory surf-and-turf specials alongside our regular menu overflowing with fresh seafood and seasonal classics. Toast to the New Year on the waterfront with an elegant glass of wine or craft cocktail, such as Ray’s Classic Martini or the Professional with Old Overholt rye whiskey, aged rum, Aperol and Scrappy’s orange bitters.   

The Boathouse will be open from 4 – 9 p.m. and reservations can be made at 206.789.3770 or rays.com. The Cafe will also be open from 11:30 a.m. – 8 p.m. serving our regular menu. Cafe reservations can be made at 206.782.0094 or rays.com.

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New Year’s Day

Gather with friends to refuel and recover from New Year’s Eve festivities at Ray’s! Kick off the New Year in the Cafe 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. with our popular Ray’s Bloody Mary with house-infused garlic vodka, classic Dmitri’s spicy bloody mix, spicy salt rim and house smoked salmon paired with Ray’s Seafood Salad or Blackened Salmon Tacos with flour tortillas, cabbage, pico de gallo, cilantro chipotle sour cream and roasted salsa.

From 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., head down to the Boathouse for succulent menu items such as Butter Poached Main Lobster Tail with Tarragon, garlic, ginger, Brussels sprouts, house smoked bacon and Old Bay fried potatoes or start the New Year on the right foot with lighter options such as Grilled Prawns that are spice rubbed and include a fennel-radish salad and chili sauce.

Boathouse reservations can be made at 206.789.3770 or rays.com. Cafe reservations can be made at 206.782.0094 or rays.com.

Watch Chef Paul Make Fresh, Handmade Pasta!

Attention all pasta lovers: making fresh, handmade pasta at home doesn’t have to be difficult! Take if from our talented Chef Paul…he makes this look easy, doesn’t he?  Chef Paul has spent many years perfecting his pasta and whether he’s cutting to make perfect pappardelle or a stunning tagliatelle dish, it’s always impressive to watch. Here’s a pro tip from the Ray’s team – never be afraid to experiment in your recipe and methods and as always, have fun!

Chef Paul Makes Pasta Pappardelle from Stephen Hauch on Vimeo.