Sea urchin- how to eat?

Question

the other day i was at a sushi restaurant, and i had uni. it was deleicious! then i ased the guy what it was and he said sea urchin! i want to know- can i catch any species of sea urcin and cut it up to get uni? does it have to be female, and how do i tell? and what should i mix it with after i cut it open ex. mayo?

one last thing-do i have to clean it?

Answer 1

ur definetly going to have to clean it. no idea about the rest

Answer 2

you should just stick to sushi restaurants that make a living out of making uni

Answer 3

First of all this is not an easy task.  One does not actually  "catch" sea urchins in the Atlantic and Pacific areas of the United States, you must dive for them.  First step...diving for your  "edible" sea urchins"...

http://www.ehow.com/how_2051008_snorkel-...

Before you even attempt to go sea urchin diving, make sure you can identify the edible species.  And perhaps most important of all, know the dangers of the sea urchin....

SEA URCHINS

These unaggressive individuals don’t move very fast. But if the current or surge takes you into one of them, you undoubtedly will! Sea urchins are pincushion like creatures (allied to the starfish) that populate reefs worldwide. Many species have short, blunt spines. Other sport long, sharp spines, with very sharp tips, which act as natural hypodermic needles. They are generally brittle and break off easily beneath the skin. Toxin injected by the urchin’s venom glands can cause intense pain.  This happens alot here, and if it does happen to you, do not  try to pull the needle out!  This is no joke, the locals pee on the affected site to draw out the needle, or you an mix some Adolph's Meat tenderizer with water into a paste and apply to affected area (preferred by women).

Ok...so you still want to clean and eat  your own urchin?  Here is a description along with a video*.

  http://www.msadventuresinitaly.com/blog/...

*In watching this video,  I would suggest two things.  One, wear gloves.  Two is when I was in the South Pacific, they put the urchins is a wire basket and shook it until the thorns fell off.  Looked like a good idea to me.

I hoped this helped!  My last piece of advise is NEVER mix anthing with your Uni!  It is a delicasy... just like caviar .  Enjoy in it's natural state.  

Be careful and good luck!