Sea urchins: six ways to enjoy this marine delicacy

The sea urchin —or echinoidea— lives near the coast, at a depth of about thirty meters and generally among the rocks. It is found in various areas of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, as well as the Caribbean and Mediterranean seas.

In Chile, for our luck, it is present all along the coast. As in much of the world, their tongues, which actually correspond to their gonads, are highly coveted by cooks and consumers.

To make it sustainable, in almost the whole country the sea urchin is closed for five months, between October and January —in Magallanes it is from August to February—, a period during which the extraction, marketing, transportation and processing of this species is prohibited. For this reason, the second half of summer is usually a time of great abundance and demand for this product.

That makes it not particularly cheap. Many people don’t like to eat it either, given its appearance, texture and special flavor. However, those who know how to appreciate it are real fans, who take advantage of the period without bans and are able to shell out large sums of money to get good hedgehogs.

How to take advantage of it? Although raw, they are delicious, there are different ways to enjoy them and take simple preparations into dishes on another level. These are a few ideas.

The vast majority of Chileans enjoy sea urchins this way. That is, raw tongues laid on toast, hopefully sliced ​​bread without edges, with a little butter and, on top of all that, a green sauce to match the guest. How is Chilean green sauce prepared? Here is the recipe.

Green sauce

—1 large peeled onion

—½ bunch cilantro, washed and dried

—1 lemon

—Salt, pepper and olive oil

Cut the onion into very small squares and put them in a bowl. Add the cilantro, stems included, but finely chopped. Salt and pepper to taste, add a drizzle of olive oil and the juice of a lemon. Stir well and let stand for ten minutes before putting it on the toast.

Who doesn’t love avocado bread? Probably nobody. Well, an avocado and sea urchin toast is even more irresistible. How is it prepared? Very simple: put ground avocado on toast and garnish it with a few tongues of sea urchin, plus some of the green sauce we made in the previous recipe and, to top it off, some strips of chili freshly cut green. Before attacking, a few drops of olive oil on top and voila: enjoy.

Another delicate way to eat sea urchins is precisely to mix them with eggs in a classic omelet. Here the main thing is to be very careful with the tongues, so that they are not abused during the preparation of the recipe. For this reason, we must pay attention to the following instructions, which are sufficient for two people.

sea ​​urchin omelet

—15 clean and fresh tongues (equivalent to 3 hedgehogs)

—¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro

-3 eggs

—Salt, pepper and olive oil

In a bowl, beat the eggs well, mixing the white and the yolk, then add the coriander and, one by one, the sea urchin tongues. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir gently once more. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and cook the omelet with a little olive oil. The idea is that as soon as the egg has set, fold the omelet and serve. If desired, when eating, you can add a few drops of lemon juice.

But of course it is: a pasta dish with a sauce made from pure sea urchins is a gem worth preparing at home. Here, a recipe to show and which is enough for two people.

spaghetti with sea urchins

—200 grams of spaghetti

—10 clean and fresh sea urchin tongues

-1 clove of garlic

—½ glass of white wine

—Salt, pepper, olive oil and freshly chopped parsley

In a skillet over low heat, with a little olive oil, put the whole garlic clove with just a pinch of salt until it starts to brown. At this point, remove the garlic from the pan and add eight sea urchin tongues.

Stir them a little, whether the tongues break or not, and as soon as they warm up, add the white wine. Keep stirring, and once the alcohol has evaporated, remove the pan from the heat.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and when ready, remove it from the pan with tongs and put it in the pan with the sea urchins. Season with salt and pepper to taste, plus a good amount of chopped parsley. Also add a little pasta cooking water and stir well. Finally, dress and decorate each plate with a sea urchin tongue on top, a drizzle of olive oil and pepper.

But be careful, you have to be very careful. Firstly because when handling hedgehog tongues, they can break. And second, because they usually contain a lot of liquid, care must be taken that the oil doesn’t sizzle as much when frying. To do it right, better look at the recipe below.

fried sea urchins

—10 fresh and clean languages

-1 egg

—½ cup of breadcrumbs

-Soya sauce

—Salt, pepper and marvelous oil

Place the tongues on absorbent paper so that they reject as much water and humidity as possible. Meanwhile, beat the egg, in another plate put the breadcrumbs and put the pan with the oil on the fire.

Once dry, pass the tongues in the beaten egg then in the breadcrumbs. Finally, fry them for just a few minutes, until lightly golden, then remove them. Put the tongues back on absorbent paper —to absorb the excess oil— and finally plate. Serve with soy sauce for spreading.

You can also prepare one of those shots that became famous a few years ago at the Naoki restaurant, and that some now repeat at home.

This is one of many possible combinations, but there are many more. Also, it is with pisco. To write.

In a short glass, put three well-chopped sea urchin tongues and a little chive stalk (the green part), very, very finely chopped. Also add a dash of rice vinegar and another of soy sauce. Add half a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger and finally fill the bottom with a good translucent pisco, until the glass is full. Give it a little spin to mix the ingredients and serve immediately.

We know that white wines are the best accompaniment to sea urchins. But to be more specific, it is worth recommending the Semillón strain, which is generally smooth on the palate and with pleasant citrus notes. This makes it a perfect match with any sea urchin preparation, whether hot or cold. For them to take it into account.

*Prices for products in this item are updated as of February 14, 2023. Values ​​and availability may change.