Working with Some of the Ocean’s Most Prized Ingredients
By Andrew Zimmern
On this special episode of Wild Game Kitchen, I demystify working with live sea urchin and scallops, demonstrating how to properly handle and prepare some of the ocean’s most precious ingredients. First, I’m making an elegant raw preparation, demonstrating how to expertly crack sea urchin and shuck live scallops for a showstopping appetizer. Then, I’m making seafood risotto over the open fire, with grilled spot prawns, scallops, and uni. Simple yet luxurious, it’s a perfect way to maximize these ingredients.
The scallops and sea urchin were shipped directly from the fishermen to my kitchen, it’s a super easy way to buy fresh seafood from anywhere in the U.S. Check out E-Fish and tell them I sent you!
Stream episodes of Wild Game Kitchen on Tastemade.
Scallops and Uni On the Half Shell
Ingredients
Urchin with Daikon, Soy & Lemon
- Live sea urchin
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons grated daikon radish
- 2 tablespoons minced scallion greens
- 1 serrano chile, minced
- 1 fresno chile, minced
Instructions
Urchins need to be pried open with a clamp or scissors placed through the center bottom of the shell and then opened, this reverse use of the scissor/clamp will crack the shell. The lobes or tongues of the urchin are edible and highly prized. Remove the lobes with a spoon, dip them in salted water to clean and then lay on a towel for a second to dry.
Sauce for urchin: combine soy sauce and lemon juice. Set aside. Grate the daikon radish and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture. Mix grated daikon with minced scallion, serrano and fresno chiles. Stir to combine.
Place the urchin tongues back in the cleaned shell, garnish with a little of the radish mixture and drizzle with the soy-lemon mix.
Scallops with Cucumber Mignonette
- Live scallops
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 cloves
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 tablespoons minced, tarragon leaves
- 2 Persian cucumbers, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- Tarragon
- Tarragon
Place the vinegar in a small pot over low heat with the sugar, peppercorns, cloves, minced shallots and 1 tablespoon of the tarragon. Bring to a simmer. Immediately shut off heat and cool. Place into jar and chill.
In a mixing bowl, combine the finely diced cucumber, dill and remaining tarragon. Once the vinegar mixture is cooled, strain it, and pour over the cucumbers.
For the scallops: open the scallops, remove the meat and reserve immediately to a bowl placed in a bowl with ice. Clean one side of the shell and reserve.
Place sliced scallops into the cleaned shells, top with cucumber mignonette.
