Sea Urchins Are Not Your Anemone!

The sea urchin’s spiky exterior belies a first-class flavour experience that combines both joie de vivre and pure enjoyment.

When someone goes on a journey, they have a story to tell. But you don’t need to travel to faraway places to broaden your horizons. Even a short trip can be enriching, both in culinary and human terms.

I spent the turn of the year with my old friend Wolfgang and his lovely wife Mihoko, an attentive hostess and gifted cook. Over a glass of champagne, she told me about a delicacy that is highly revered in her native Japan: the sea urchin.

There, it is called uni: eaten raw as sushi or sashimi, warm in noodles or risotto, as a fine paste in small side dishes, or in dishes such as uni nabe. Its creamy, sweet and sea-like texture makes it a special treat. But you don’t have to travel all the way to Japan to enjoy sea urchins.

^{Photo by USFWS on Pixnio licenced under CCO}

On the Côte Bleue, near Marseille, one of the most charming gourmet festivals in the south of France takes place every year: the Oursinades. Carry-le-Rouet is considered the traditional centre and celebrates on the first three Sundays in February, while neighbouring Sausset-les-Pins also celebrates, but on the last three Sundays in January

A small legend characterises the fame: in 1952, the then mayor of Carry-le-Rouet with the beautiful name Grimaldi had himself publicly weighed in 95 kilograms of sea urchins – an image that conquered the world and laid the foundation for a festival that still enjoys cult status today. Fishermen, chefs, locals and visitors celebrate the sea urchin – raw, pure, straight from the shell, accompanied by little more than cool white wine.

The locally collected sea urchins are quite small, now strictly protected and can only be enjoyed once a year – a privilege that is celebrated. Families, couples and hungry visitors sit at long tables – laughing, talking about the weather and the food – we are in France after all. The food is served simply: sea urchins on plates, plastic spoons in hand, accompanied by a glass of sparkling Vermentino or Côtes de Provence wine – deliberately simple in order to experience the flavour of the sea in all its intensity.

 ^{Video via France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur on YouTube}

And what does the sea urchin taste like? Creamy like a well-whipped scrambled egg, with a subtle sweetness of the sea. Serve with baguette or white bread and a squeeze of lemon. This is how sea urchin reveals all its sophistication. Pure, simple, delicious.

If you like it, take a portion of sea urchin home with you and give yourself a personalised culinary treat. This experience can be recreated in your own four walls in a playful way – uncomplicated and recommended for adventurous amateur chefs. 

We recommend a combination that is as surprising as it is refined:

Sea urchin butter over pork steak (yes, pork), served with tender vegetables such as green asparagus and small potatoes – a dinner that brings the sea to your plate and a smile to your face.

If you are now wondering how meat and fish harmonise, a comparison is in order: As with the classic Vitello Tonnato, where tender veal meets creamy tuna sauce, the pork steak here also combines the mild, succulent texture with the intense umami flavour of sea urchin. A successful interplay of land and sea. The sea urchin, in particular, is not considered a ‘classic fish’, but rather a luxurious umami carrier, comparable to truffles or caviar. In this role, it works perfectly with meat, like veal, poultry or even pork.

Of course, sea urchin could also be served as an aperitif or fine amuse-bouche – there are many delicious ideas. However, we decided in favour of this recipe, tried it out and found it to be excellent.

Serve with a glass of fresh, mineral Vermentino, Crémant or champagne. A moderate portion is enough for a lunch on the terrace; we recommend it as a classic dinner in the evening because it is more sumptuous and ‘something different’. And a glass more is also allowed!

Our favourite restaurateur, Romolo from Romolo Amarea in Bordighera, describes this combination as unusual – and that is precisely where its special charm lies.

Travelling educates – sometimes as far as Japan, sometimes only as far as the Côte Bleue. Sometimes all it takes is a plate of sea urchins, a glass of wine and a sunny afternoon to make the world taste a little bigger, more delicious and more elegant.

CONTACT DETAILS

Les Oursinades
Le Port de Carry-le-Rouet
Quai À Fouque
13620 Carry-le-Rouet

Tel: +33 (0)4 95 09 50 64
Web: http://www.carry-lerouet.com/

PHOTO CREDITS

• Lead image by Sonia Kowsar on Unsplash
• Background image on recipe by Portuguese Gravity on Unsplash
• All other photos and videos as credited