Sea Urchin Recipes

Sea urchins are distinctive underwater creatures covered in spikes – you'll know it if you see one and you'll know it if you tread on one, too! They vary in colour and size. Some sea urchins are delicate, ping pong ball-sized creatures while some varieties can be melon-sized, with spines which are several inches long. The most commonly found in British restaurants is the purple sea urchin which grows in Pacific Waters or the Norwegian green – both of which are just a little smaller than tennis ball-sized.

Sea urchins have a long tradition in European cuisine – indeed they were supposedly served at Hercules' wedding to Hebe, the Greek goddess of youth. Unsurprisingly, they are most popular in coastal regions, from northern Norway to southern Spain. Sea urchins are also a great delicacy in Japanese cuisine, where they are known as 'uni', and often used in sushi, or served sashimi-style.

Only a small part of the sea urchin is eaten – the 'gonads' or sex organs, which run along the inside of the shell. The taste is delicate and musky. Sweet, with sea salt flavours, sea urchin is an ingredient which divides opinion and is prized as much for the smooth texture as its taste and aroma.

Best Sea Urchin Roe Recipes

It's worth noting that the edible gonads are often incorrectly labelled 'roe'. They have a dark yellow-burned orange appearance, with a bumpy, tongue-like texture. The sea urchin gonads can be cooked and are sometimes puréed into a velvety-rich sauce but they are most often served raw.

It's not very easy to get hold of sea urchins. In the 1970s, national stocks were almost wiped out. But now sustainable sea urchin schemes are emerging, which raise urchins in a hatchery and then move them to rock pools. They are also available in well-connected fishmongers and fine food specialist shops.

As with all seafood, it's important that the sea urchin is fresh. Smell is always the best indicator. They are are usually sold alive, and you can sometimes see the spines gently moving.

Sea Urchin/uni Linguine By Foodloose_blog

If you're dealing with a small sea urchin, use a good pair of kitchen scissors to cut round the 'equator'. When dealing with a larger sea urchin, it's most common to puncture one end, and then cut a small circle of shell out of the bottom, so that the majority of the shell stays intact.

Drain any dark-coloured liquid and then use a spoon to scoop out any other brown-black substance inside the shell. At this point, you can see how methodical sea urchin preparation is. Sea urchins are five-fold symmetrical creatures, with five yellow-orange gonads running up the inner wall. These look like little tongues, both in shape and also in texture. Rinse out the shell at this point, if needed, to have a clearer view.

Use the spoon to gently scrape the orange gonads away from the edge of the shell and then rinse them in fresh, or salt water. If they aren't being served immediately, then make sure that they remain chilled and use as soon as possible.

Seaweed Sea Urchin Salad With Squid Ink Vinaigrette: Fairmont Moments

In terms of flavour pairing, think of sea urchin as you would think of caviar. They both have a delicate flavour with salty-oceanic notes. As with caviar, sea urchin is often simply spread on a biscuit or a piece of toast to showcase the flavours without any distraction. In Japanese cuisine, it is common to use sea urchin to top plain nigiri sushi or stirred into plain noodles. And in Italy, sea urchin is often stirred through a bowl of tagliatelle.

Chef Gary Jones uses scrambled eggs as the neutral backdrop to showcase both sea urchin and caviar, while chef Pascal Aussignac harnesses the sea salt flavours in a foam to dress his duck carpaccio.

Although sea urchin is an exciting ingredient to experiment with, it is possibly at its best when enjoyed in its purest form – eaten straight from of the shell. In many countries it's traditional to pair sea urchin only with a sip of the local liquor, be that Japanese sake or Greek ouzo.

Ika Uni (squid And Sea Urchin) Recipe By Studio Ai Tokyo Japanese Cooking Class

Join an ever-growing community of food lovers now by subscribing to our newsletter and get all the latest recipes, features and much more to your inboxThese spiky extraterrestrial-looking animals are a real gift from the oceans, a hidden gem for all those oyster and seafood lovers out there. If you are familiar with them, you will love this recipe. If you aren’t, say hola to our Galician sea urchins gratin!

Look at them. Sea urchins look like the sort of deathly ninja weapon that Chuck Norris would choose to treat their enemies. Definitely that rather than something you might call a ‘seafood delicatessen’. But now, is that really what you think? If that’s the case then I’m telling you. Don’t let the sea urchins mess up with your perception skills. Because what you’ve got in front of your eyes is nothing less than a precious treasure from the oceans!

So let’s start cooking them! Is there anything you should know about sea urchins before you start the recipe? Not strictly, although you might be interested in knowing that the best sea urchins are found in January and February, when the sea waters are at their coolest temperature. Also interesting to know is that the females are substantially better tasting than the males. Unfortunately it’s almost impossible to discern one from each other unless you crack them open, point at which you’ll realize than the female corals are way more orange than the paler version from the males.

Recipe For Greek Style Sea Urchins

Oh, and you don’t actually need to cook sea urchins to eat them. In fact eating them raw is probably eating them at their best. Perhaps ideal with a few drops of lemon, just like you would eat an oyster. And hey, if you like oysters, then I can promise that you will love sea urchins.

I was born and bred in Zaragoza, Spain. Since 2001 I’ve been living in London, where I now work as a Design & Creative Director at one of London’s top digital marketing agencies, specializing in interactive design, digital production, advertising and social media. Sometimes in the evenings, I also work as a cook in the kitchen of a well-known Spanish restaurant in South London. I’m so mad about food I could probably spend most of my time either cooking or eating. As for the rest of my spare time, I’d probably spend it travelling with Lara, taking pictures or designing something pretty.

Zaragoza is my hometown. Come with me, explore it like a local and enjoy some of the many wonderful tapas bars and restaurants. Learn what to eat and where to eat it and visit some of the best local markets and food delis.

L.a. Chic: Bestia's Spaghetti With Sea Urchin Recipe