So how to clean and get at the yummy goodness inside? Read on, and we'll explain how to open and clean an UNI.
First.Buy a nice Uni. Now typically the heavier the Uni, the more inside. However, it still can be like a box of chocolates - you never know what you're gonna get.
This is going to be a little longer post, but I think it's worth it to check out the steps. It's pretty easy to get your own fresh uni and clean them yourself! Sushi on folks!
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| Start with one large, heavy uni |
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| Turn the uni over. WEAR GLOVES!! The urchin's spines aren't too hard to deal with, but they will stain your hands & fingers. Search for the mouth. |
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| Cut all the way around the Mouth or beak of the urchin. If the center falls into the cavity, don't worry we'll retrieve it later. |
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| Looking inside, you should be able to see the Yellow clusters around the inside of the shell. We're looking at the Urchin gonads here... |
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| Usually there are 5 lobes within the shell. Using kitchen shears or a knife, cut BETWEEN the lobes, about halfway down the sides of the urchin. |
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| Gently pry the halves open, exposing the lobes, and the inside "waste". Usually urchins eat live rock, coral, algae, so this is a slimy mess inside. |
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| To make extracting the lobes easier, usually gently separating the shells into sections is best. Take care not to break apart the lobes as much as possible. These are usually fairly soft. |
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| Some lobes, will fall out easily. with a good slotted spoon, we'll clean these off and rinse. I'll get to that in a bit... |
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| Gently work with a good slotted spoon between the shell of the urchin and the lobe, scraping the shell as close as possible. This is a fairly easy step. |
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| By working from top down to the bottom, the roe will end up resting on the spoon as you go. You can hold the shell in one hand, and guide the spoon with the other. Doing this fast is a sure way to damage the lobe if your not seasoned at this step. |
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| It should end up on the spoon mostly, some membranes will hold, but those can be gently pinched off. You should only try and extract and rinse one lobe at a time. |
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| Under gently running COLD water, rinse off the particles that cling to the lobe of the uni. Pull off any attached membrane, and rinse the "roe" itself. Try to get as much clean water to flush any residue. |
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| Continue to rinse until the lobe is nice and clean, gently pull off any membranes that are stuck in the creases near the bottom. These are very bitter and not tasty!! |
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| If you have a nice tray or plate, put slightly damp paper towels down to rest your cleaned uni lobes until your ready to use or eat them. This will help any additional water drain off, and make them a little easier to handle. |
