Episode 7 : Sea Urchins
Bob is about to meet his match - a little red invertebrate, covered in sharp spikes! The sea urchin looks like an underwater porcupine, but inside is a treasure of delicious roe. The Japanese call it Uni, and it is a delicacy in seafood restaurants all over the world. Bob's challenge is to win a race against the salty dog crew of Vancouver Island's Kuroshio Urchin Harvesting Boat. They are a competitive bunch, determined to beat out a city slicker in a frenzied urchin harvesting race. Bob's training will be rigorous. He will have to get a crash course in scuba diving, then learn how to harvest sea urchins by carefully raking them into a bag on the ocean floor without getting "spined", tangled in kelp beds or hugged by an octopus. Can Bob rake in enough of this spiky delicacy to join the Kuroshio's elite crew, or will he be forced to walk the plank?
Recipe:
Sea Urchin in a Cucumber Vichyssoise
Compliments of Frank Pabst, Executive Chef of the Blue Water Café in Vancouver, BC
Vichyssoise is a creamy French-style soup made with puréed leeks, onions and potatoes, traditionally served cold. Preparing the sea urchin for this dish can be a bit messy - wear an apron and work over a baking sheet with a generous lip to catch all of the juices that run out.
Sea Urchin:
Ingredients:
4 sea urchins, medium in size
1 tablespoon chives, minced
1 tablespoon cucumber brunoise
Directions:
1. Place a small cutting board in the centre of a baking sheet.
2. Wearing gloves, place each sea urchin mouth-side up on the cutting board and crack it open with a heavy chef's knife (do not cut through the urchin completely).
3. Use a solid pair of shears to cut a circle 2.5cm around the mouth.
4. With a teaspoon, carefully remove the roe from each sea urchin and wash in a bowl of cold salted water to remove any grit.
5. Place the roe on a paper towel and refrigerate until needed.
Cucumber Vichyssoise:
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 leeks, white only, thinly sliced
¼ small onion, thinly sliced
100 g potatoes, diced
2 cups chicken stock
1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
200 ml 18% cream
Directions:
1. In a medium pot, melt butter over medium-high heat and sweat leeks and onion with a good pinch of salt and several turns of pepper for about 5 minutes, or until tender but not browned.
2. Add potatoes and chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add cream and purée the mixture in a food processor, while gradually adding the raw cucumber slices.
3. Strain the purée through a medium-meshed sieve. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate.
To serve:
1. Ladle 200ml of the chilled vichyssoise into each soup bowl.
2. Place 5 pieces of sea urchin roe on top of the soup.
3. Garnish with cucumber brunoise and minced chives.
Yield: Serves 4
Links:
The Kuroshio, Sea Urchin Commercial Dive Vessel
Blue Water Café, Vancouver, BC
Sooke Harbour House, Sooke, Vancouver Island, BC
Maritime Forces Pacific - Esquimalt Navy