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The sea urchin is quite common in our Oceans, especially on the coasts of Oregon and California. It is one of the most particular and appreciated seafood for its strong and unmistakable flavor. The edible part is made up of eggs, which are contained inside: they are coral colored and we find them grouped in a star shape. Sea urchins are found on rocky seabeds, they feed on small microorganisms and are prey of various species of fish. They are highly appreciated as a valuable food with a particular flavor. The best time to eat them is spring, even if we find them full almost all year round, except in summer. We can therefore enjoy them fresh or in different preparations but, how to clean sea urchins? Even if it might seem like a difficult task, due to the external spines, it is actually a very simple operation that you can perform with a special sea urchin cutter, but also with a knife or scissors. Here's how!
How to Clean Sea Urchins: From the Urchin Cutter to The Knife
If you have a sea urchin cutter at home, then proceed as follows: first of all, before opening them, make sure they are fresh, they must taste of the sea. Now take the individual sea urchins and, with the appropriate tool, cut off the upper part: you can recognize it by the presence of the mouth. Once this part is cut, empty it of water and any residue and rinse under running water. Now extract the edible part, that is, the eggs, with the help of a teaspoon, taking only the orange part. Place them in a small bowl and eat them as you prefer: they are excellent both cooked and raw.
If you don't have a sea urchin cutter, use scissors. Wear thick gloves and insert the scissors into the upper part of the sea urchin, where the mouth is. Holding the sea urchin in one hand, cut it in half by rotating it. Now empty the water inside and rinse it under running water, so as to eliminate small algae and sand residues.
Another technique is to use a knife with a saw. Always wearing thick gloves, cut into the surface of the sea urchin by making a cross-shaped incision. With the help of a stone, hit any point of the sea urchin so as to break the casing. At this point you can remove the pulp with the help of a fork.
Sea Urchins: How to Choose Them
When you buy sea urchins it is important to know that only the females have the precious and tasty seafood inside them. The differences between males and females are easy to distinguish: the former are black, while the females have a color that can range from brown to purple. In addition, female sea urchins usually have shells or empty shells on their spines.
Having made this important distinction, make sure to buy specimens that have whole and brightly colored quills. Also, weigh them by picking them up, so as to ensure that they are not empty inside. If you buy them from a farm, have the dealer check the inside of at least one of the hedgehogs, to see if the inside is full. Also check the date shown on the health label.
How to Eat Sea Urchins
According to tradition, sea urchins are eaten raw: they are opened and eaten directly from the shell, perhaps with the addition of a few drops of lemon. They should then be eaten without using cutlery: a piece of fresh bread will suffice. In Sicily, for example, they are eaten raw to prepare pasta, but they can also be cooked to create dishes with a more intense flavor.
How to Store Them
The advice is to consume sea urchins the same day of purchase. Alternatively, you can store them in a damp cloth and in a cool place for a maximum of 2 days.
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