When the supplier came delivering this box of Sea Urchin, my colleagues gave me a pat on my back, with a cynical smile and tone told me ' WE HAVE ALL GONE THROUGH THE PAIN OF PROCESSING UNI, IT IS NOW YOUR TURN, HAVE FUN!!!' and together march off with loud evil laughter.
Uni refers to the gonads of a sea urchin (a golden, creamy, rich flavored organ that produces roe) that make up 2/3 of their internal tissues. Good uni is supposed to taste sweet, creamy and firm in texture. Peak season for uni is during cold months, because female sea urchin spawn during warm weather and they turn bitter and slimy.
Uni is a versatile ingredient, the only thing is to not apply too much heat or they'll loose their flavor. They can be served raw, brined, as a custard, mixed with butter as a spread, gently cooked with tomato and garlic then tossed with pasta, topped onto fish soups, folded into scrambled eggs and the list goes on.
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| Bafun Uni, they come with the spines removed |
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| The dot in the centre is the mouth |
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| Take a knife, run it around the mouth and remove it |
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| Use a pair of scissors to gently cut open the shell |
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| Remove everything on the inside with a teaspoon and scrub the shell with a toothbrush - remove all black intestines surrounding the orange gonads (uni) |
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| Disinfect the shells with alcohol, then using a cloth, gently rub the insides of the shell to remove any membrane in it. |
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| Uni + carrot mousse + beef consommé jelly + carrot foam |
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| Hokkaido Uni |
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| Hokkaido Uni + Chicken Consomme Jelly + Japanese Pumpkin Mousse |
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