We are in the middle of the sea urchin season, an authentic marine delicacy that is not usually consumed much in homes, since it is not common to know how to clean and consume this product correctly. Furthermore, if we do not have much information about it, we can risk food poisoning if we do not know how to identify if they are in good condition.
In order to fully understand how sea urchin should be eaten, at Comer La Vanguardia we have interviewed Cristina Chen, chef at the Fishhhh To Go restaurant in Barcelona, who is an expert in the handling and preparation of this product. In addition to giving us advice on how to open it, clean it and eat it, she also explained to us how we can differentiate fresh hedgehogs, in order to avoid the risk of poisoning.
Urchins, like oysters, should be consumed as fresh as possible and while they are still alive. The edible part of this animal is found inside its spiny shell that we can easily cut with kitchen scissors, inserting them directly into the hedgehog's mouth and cutting around it to reveal its interior. Once opened, all the liquid and the black part they contain must be discarded, since this is the digestive part and is considered waste. Although it won't hurt us to eat it, our expert advises against it since its flavor is not pleasant.
Once the hedgehog is opened and cleaned, we can proceed to eat it without any problem. The edible part of this animal are the gonads, which are its reproductive organs, and they look like small orange or yellowish tongues that we find inside. To remove them, just use a small spoon. One of the best ways to eat them is raw, since this way it is possible to appreciate their flavor, which evokes marine and iodized aromas, with a subtle sweet touch and a soft and creamy texture.
Eating hedgehogs is quite an experience, but it can turn into an unpleasant episode if one is in poor condition. To avoid this, just look at the animal's quills to check if it is fresh or not. A sea urchin at its perfect point for eating will have uniform and somewhat strong fingers, and you can even see a slight movement indicating that it is still alive. If, on the other hand, we see that the quills come off easily from the shell and do not move, it is best not to eat it.
Now that we have all the necessary keys to consume sea urchin at home, we will not run the risk of becoming poisoned by this food. It can be a great option to serve at meetings, and it is also quite versatile as an ingredient, since in addition to serving it raw we can also serve it in the form of nigiri, and it can even be used in creams and pastas.
