Omari Gates
Sea urchins are considered a delicacy in many parts of the world, including Australia, and are commonly consumed raw, straight out of the shell. They are known for their creamy, buttery, and briny flavour, and are prized for their rich, creamy texture. In this article, we will explore the different ways to eat Australian sea urchins, including the popular method of consuming the roe raw, as well as various recipes and preparation techniques. We will also discuss the nutritional benefits and ecological impact of eating sea urchins, and provide tips on how to safely harvest and prepare them.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| How to open the shell | Hold the sea urchin vertically and place a spoon into the top of the sea urchin, pressing into its shell. Place another spoon back-to-back with the first and apply enough pressure to crack the shell. Bring the two spoon handles together to prise the shell open. Carefully pull the shell apart using your hands. |
| How to remove the roe | Shake the guts into a bucket and you’ll be left with the yellow-orange roe around the edges of the shell. Get a smaller teaspoon in behind the roe and scoop it out. |
| How to clean the roe | Rinse your roe in a bowl of iced water or saltwater to wash it, then place it in another bowl of water for a minute or two. Transfer to a plate to dry. |
| How to store the roe | Consume the roe on the same day for the highest flavour and nutritional value. The roe will last up to four days if stored below three degrees Celsius. Although you can freeze it, doing so affects both the texture and flavour. |
| How to serve the roe | The simplest way is to eat it fresh with a squeeze of lime and soy sauce. It can also be served raw with slices of fresh baguettes and butter. |
| How to cook with the roe | The roe can be used to make sushi, added to pasta, or made into a butter which can be used in surf and turf, garlic prawns, mussels, or other seafood dishes. It can also be added to scrambled eggs. |
| How to handle the sea urchin | Sea urchins are venomous, so always put on a pair of thick gloves to protect your hands before handling them. If you don’t have gloves, you can wrap the urchin in a towel. |
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What You'll Learn
How to open an Australian sea urchin
Sea urchins are venomous, so it is important to protect yourself from stings when opening them. Wear thick gloves or wrap the urchin in a towel.
There are a few different methods for opening an Australian sea urchin. One method is to use a sharp knife or scissors to cut an opening around the mouth at the base of the urchin. Be careful not to pierce the inside of the uni. Then, slowly and carefully remove the shell attached to the mouth to expose the gonads. Invert the urchin over a bowl of water to remove all liquids. Next, flip the urchin back over and remove any visible organs around the gonads with tweezers. Use a spoon to gently prise the gonads away from the shell. Dunk the whole urchin in a bowl of cold water to help keep the gonads together, and then use a spoon to scoop the gonads out of the shell and onto a dry surface.
Another method is to use two spoons. Hold the urchin vertically and place one spoon into the top of the sea urchin, pressing into its shell. Place the other spoon back-to-back with the first and apply enough pressure to crack the shell. Bring the two spoon handles together to prise the shell open. Carefully pull the shell apart using your hands and shake the guts into a bucket. You will be left with the yellow-orange roe around the edges of the shell. Get a smaller teaspoon in behind the roe and scoop it out slowly and carefully, trying to get it out in one piece.
It is important to keep sea urchins chilled until you are ready to eat them as they spoil quickly. When storing the urchins on ice, use a perforated pan, strainer, or rack inside a standard pan, bowl, or another container so that the water runs off as the ice melts.
The gonads or the uni of the sea urchin are the only edible parts of the animal and are usually yellow, orange, or red. If they are brown, the sea urchin is spoiled. The gonads are also called roe, although this is not technically correct as roe refers to a mass of eggs inside a fish. Rinse the roe in salt water to get rid of any brown residue from the inside of the urchin.
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How to identify fresh Australian sea urchin
To identify fresh Australian sea urchins, you should first know where to look. Sea urchins are found in oceans worldwide, but certain species are native to Australian waters. The purple sea urchin, for example, is native to the coastal waters of southern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia. They are generally found in shallow waters up to 10 metres deep, but can go as far down as 35 metres. The long-spined sea urchin, or 'Centro', is prevalent in southeastern Australia, from southern Queensland to Tasmania. The red sea urchin is found from southern Queensland to southern New South Wales and is at its peak flavour in late spring to early summer. The green, white, or purple sea urchin is located in southern Australia, from subtropical New South Wales to Western Australia and Tasmania.
When diving for sea urchins, stick to rocky coastal areas, as they can often be found in less than 15 feet of water. Sea urchins attach themselves to rocks, so bring a sharp knife to extract them. Other useful equipment includes gloves, a mask, snorkel, and flippers.
A secret to identifying edible sea urchins is to look for a small piece of seaweed, a shell, or a rock attached to the top of them. The edible parts of the sea urchin are the gonads, or the roe/uni, which have a rich, creamy texture and a briny, oceanic flavour. The gonads are the only edible part of the sea urchin, and they are located inside the hard shell. To access the gonads, you will need to open the shell with a specialised tool or two spoons, and then shake out the guts and scoop out the remaining orangey roe with a spoon.
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Australian sea urchin recipes
Sea urchins are distinctive underwater creatures covered in spikes. They vary in colour and size, from delicate, ping pong ball-sized creatures to melon-sized urchins with several-inch-long spines. The most commonly consumed variety is the deep-purple, long-spined Pacific sea urchin from Hokkaido, Japan, or Santa Barbara, California. Alternatively, the short-spined, coral-green Atlantic sea urchin from Maine is more common in the Northeast.
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. The edible gonads are often incorrectly labelled 'roe' and have a dark yellow-to-orange appearance, with a bumpy, tongue-like texture.
Sea urchin gonads can be cooked, puréed into a sauce, or served raw. They are most commonly served raw, with a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth texture and a unique flavour that has been compared to eggs, lobster, foie gras, and fish roe.
Sea Urchin with Osetra Caviar, Coconut Cream, Coriander Oil, Radish & Cashew
This recipe begins with gently curing the sea urchin to remove excess moisture.
Wagyu Carpaccio with Sea Urchin, Sautéed, Pickled & Fried Mushrooms, Nori & Sesame
This recipe serves four and includes 100g of sea urchin and 400g of thinly sliced wagyu porterhouse.
Seafood Hotpot with Sea Urchin Stock, Sea Urchin, Scallops, Crab, Kingfish, Prawns & Wakame
For best results, make your own seafood stock using fish frames and sea urchin shells.
Sea Urchin Risotto with Alba White Truffle
This recipe serves four and includes sea urchin and Alba white truffle.
Blue Swimmer Crab Salad with Sea Urchin Mayonnaise, Uni Gold, Ossetra Caviar, Chives and Garlic Flowers
This recipe serves four and includes two large cooked blue swimmer crabs and 30g of sea urchin.
Creamy Sea Urchin (Uni) Pasta
This simple recipe involves making a sauce from raw sea urchin roe blended with softened butter or heavy cream, which is then poured over pasta and cooked until the sauce is thick and glossy. A squeeze of lemon or a splash of wine or sake can be added for brightness.
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Australian sea urchin harvesting techniques
Sea urchins are spiny marine animals found in oceans worldwide, often inhabiting rocky seabeds. Certain species of sea urchins are considered a delicacy, particularly the roe or "uni", which is prized in cuisines like Japanese and Mediterranean. Sea urchin harvesting requires careful planning and execution to ensure both personal safety and the sustainability of the ecosystem. Here are some techniques and considerations for harvesting Australian sea urchins:
Safety and Environmental Considerations:
When harvesting sea urchins, it is crucial to prioritise your safety and the preservation of the marine environment. Always ensure that you have a good knowledge of the ocean and only enter the water when the sea is calm. Keep an eye out for rogue waves and be cautious of sharp spines, which can cause injury.
Location and Timing:
Sea urchins can be found in various locations along the Australian coastline. The Heliocidaris tuberculata, or red sea urchin, can be harvested from southern Queensland to the South Coast of New South Wales. Meanwhile, the Heliocidaris erythrogramma, known as the green, white, or purple sea urchin, is found in southern Australia, including subtropical New South Wales, Western Australia, and Tasmania. The spawning seasons of these species vary, with H. tuberculata spawning from February to October and H. erythrogramma spawning in the summer. Aim to harvest during the peak flavour seasons: late spring to early summer for H. tuberculata and spring for H. erythrogramma.
Harvesting Techniques:
To open a sea urchin, you can use specialised tools, but a simple and effective method is to use two spoons and a couple of bowls of iced water. Hold the sea urchin vertically and insert one spoon into the top, pressing into the shell. Place the other spoon back-to-back with the first and apply pressure to crack the shell. Then, bring the spoon handles together to prise it open. Once opened, rinse the roe in one bowl of iced water, transfer it to another bowl for a minute or two, and then place it on a plate to dry.
Processing and Consumption:
It is recommended to process and consume sea urchins on the same day for the highest flavour and nutritional value. The roe can be eaten fresh with a squeeze of lime and soy sauce or used in various dishes, such as sushi, pasta, or butter. If you need to store the roe, it will last up to four days when kept below three degrees Celsius. Freezing is also an option, but it may affect the texture and flavour.
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Australian sea urchin eating etiquette
Australian sea urchins are a delicacy, particularly the roe or "uni", which is prized in Japanese and Mediterranean cuisines. The roe has a rich, creamy, buttery texture and a briny, oceanic flavour. It is best to consume sea urchins on the same day they are harvested and stored on a damp paper towel. They can be stored for up to four days if kept below three degrees Celsius, but freezing them affects both their texture and flavour.
- Put on a pair of thick gloves to protect your hands from the venomous spines of the sea urchin, which can cause dangerous stings.
- Flip the urchin upside down. You will be able to identify the bottom by the small mouth.
- Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut around the base of the urchin or the mouth. Be careful not to poke the inside of the uni.
- Lift off the cut portion to expose the edible innards, which are the five orange, tongue-like structures. These are the gonads or the urchin's sexual organs. They are the only edible parts of the urchin. If the gonads are brown, the sea urchin is spoiled, so do not eat it.
- Use a spoon to gently pry the gonads away from the shell.
- Dunk the whole urchin in a bowl of cold water to help keep the gonads intact.
- Rinse the roe in a bowl of saltwater or iced water to wash away any brown residue from the inside of the urchin.
- Place the roe on a dry surface, such as a kitchen towel or paper towels.
- Use a small teaspoon to gently scoop out the roe, trying to keep it in one piece.
- Season the roe with a squeeze of lime and soy sauce, or enjoy it plain. It can also be used to make sushi, added to pasta, or made into butter.
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Frequently asked questions
Sea urchins are sold live as they decay quickly after they die. The best way to check for freshness is by smell. If the urchin smells fishy or pungent, it is not fresh. Look for one that doesn't have a strong smell, and check that the spines are moving slightly.
Put on a pair of thick gloves to protect yourself from the venomous spines. Then, flip the urchin upside down and cut around the base with scissors or a sharp knife. Lift off the base to expose the edible innards.
The five orange, tongue-like structures inside the shell are the gonads or the urchin's sexual organs. They are the only edible parts of the sea urchin. The gonads are also called roe, and they have a soft, buttery texture and a fresh ocean flavour.
