How to: Cleaning a Sea Urchin

After D tried his first urchin last week and he was inspired to make a sea urchin soup, I ordered some urchin from a friend's restaurant - thanks, Shiho! - but decided we would have to clean an urchin as well.

I am grateful for a husband who doesn't even flinch when I call with a favor: Can you please go to the end of Wharf 2 and get a fresh urchin for D? Just one? Yep. Sure. Thank you, Love.

And thank you, YouTube posters, for showing us how to clean one. I had D watch a few clips while I prepped other parts of dinner.

Here's what Jake picked up this afternoon.

At first D was horrified that I was going to make him clean it. "Mom, Ms. Shiho's urchin is all set to cook...and that one hugged me! I can't kill it." What do you mean it 'hugged you?' "When I touched it in the bag, it moved its spines around my fingers." Well, I still want you to know the effort that went into this...

Step One: Marvel at the urchin...in all its intimidating glory.

Step Two: Run a knife along the soft spot in the bottom and remove the teeth.

Step Three: Use sharp kitchen snips to cut the urchin in half.

Step Four: Clean all the muck away from the roe.

Step Five: Plate the roe. You're ready to eat. Can you tell which is the urchin we bought? And which is the one he cleaned?!

Answer - the one on the left was the one we purchased already prepped;

the one on the right is the one that D prepped.

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