When in Sicily eating Spaghetti With Sea Urchins (Spaghetti chi Ricci) is a must.
Pasta con i ricci di mare, a Sicilian dish, captures the essence of the sea in a single mouthful. Its delicate yet intense flavour is characterised by a combination of sweet, briny, creamy and unmistakably marine.
They are relatively unknown culturally in Australia and have been next to non-existent commercially.
Sea urchins are considered a delicacy in many parts of the Mediterranean, particularly in Italy, France and Greece, and they are also highly prized in Japan. In Italy they are known as ricci di mare – “sea hedgehogs”. Ricci also means curly – the spines of sea urchins are curly at the ends.
What we commonly call sea urchin “roe” is not actually roe in the strict sense. The edible yellow-orange lobes are the reproductive organs, or gonads, of both male and female sea urchins. “Roe”, however, remains the more appetising and commonly used culinary term.
Sicily
When I was a child visiting Sicily, I remember finding sea urchins under rocks on the beach — family and friends wrapped their hands in newspaper and went looking for them at low tide. Most of the time it was very easy to find 4 to 6 sea urchins for each of us to eat raw — the urchins were simply cut in half using a very sharp knife, revealing the yellow-orange roe that was easily removed with a teaspoon and eaten from the spoon with a squeeze of lemon juice.
The next favourite method of eating them was as a dressing for pasta.
In my book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking there is a recipe for this. I had great trouble finding sea urchins to cook (and to be photographed) for my book that was published November 2011.
Australia’s relationship with sea urchins
Australia’s relationship with sea urchins has changed considerably since then. In some southern waters, particularly Tasmania, the long-spined sea urchin has become an ecological problem because expanding populations can graze heavily on kelp forests, creating areas known as urchin barrens.
This has produced an intriguing convergence between environmental management and food culture: harvesting edible sea urchins can provide a commercial seafood product while also contributing to efforts to reduce pressure on vulnerable marine ecosystems.
I found it surprising that there are about 42 species of sea urchins found in Australian waters and although they can be found in many locations, only a few are good tasting. Most are exported to Japan. The market price for fresh, chilled sea urchin roe varies considerably depending on colour and texture.A creature once relatively unfamiliar on Australian tables has gradually acquired a much higher profile.
The Tasmanian sea urchin fishery is now the largest in Australia and I purchased Tasmanian roe from a specialist sea-food vendor (Ocean Made) who deals mainly with restaurateurs. I found some whole sea urchins at the Preston Market but when I opened them I found them very inferior in quality.
In the photographs (from my book Sicilian Seafood Cooking) you see the work of the photographer Graham Gilles and food stylist Fiona Rigg. I was the cook. The photo of the boats at Mondello (Sicily, close to Palermo) is by Bob Evans.
Pasta con i Ricci di Mare – Pasta with Sea Urchin Roe
Spaghetti are traditionally used for this recipe, but I also like ricci with egg pasta, either fresh or dry — narrow linguine — a delicate taste, which in my opinion complement the sweet, fresh taste of the roe.
I ate my best ever pasta with sea urchins in a restaurant in Mondello (close to Palermo) and I am sure that this included lemon – grated peel and juice so I have included these in the recipe.
And one last thing — the sea urchins are not cooked and are mixed with the hot pasta at the time of serving. The aroma is indescribable. Bottarga is sometimes grated on top of the pasta and anchovies are commonly added to the sauce to accentuate the taste, but this is optional.
Ingredients
For 6 people
finely grated lemon peel of 1 lemon, and the juice
Preparing Whole Sea Urchins
If using whole sea urchins, handle them carefully because of the spines.
Using sturdy kitchen scissors or a short, very sharp knife, cut into the underside of the shell around the mouth opening. Open the sea urchin and carefully remove the edible yellow-orange roe with a teaspoon.
Discard the shell, internal liquid and other contents. Place the roe in a bowl and gently separate any larger pieces. It is very soft, so handle it as little as possible.
Method
*Do not return the pasta to the heat – the ricci should be warmed by the pasta, not cooked.
Final notes A Delicacy Worth Rediscovering
For me, pasta con i ricci di mare carries much more than the flavour of sea urchins. It recalls Sicily, childhood summers, people searching among the rocks, newspaper wrapped around their hands, and sea urchins opened and eaten almost where they were found.
It is also interesting that a seafood once so difficult for me to source in Australia has become part of a much larger conversation about our marine environment.
Yet the best way to understand why Italians prize ricci di mare is still the simplest: good pasta, excellent olive oil, a little garlic and parsley, and fresh sea urchin roe added at the very last moment.
- I was pleased to see that sea urchins will be featured in a dinner called The Delicious Pest at The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival on March 9, 2014.
- An article in The Age (Melbourne newspaper). Date with plates sends chills down urchins spine:
Diver and seafood exporter Dave Allen has helped pioneer the sea urchin export industry in Australia and, in the process, has set about saving the reefs from being stripped bare by these pests.
Laura Banks. From Sunday Age, March 2, 2014.
RICCI, the curly ones (SEA URCHINS)
SEA URCHINS; how to clean and eat them (RICCI DI MARE)
