Fresh from the sea, uni and ikura create a salty, savory combination.
Much as is true of most Japanese people, most Alutiiqs love virtually anything harvested from the sea. From octopus to chitons (locally known as bidarki), if it’s fresh from the ocean it’s likely to find its way onto the menu here in Chignik Lake. Sea urchins are highly prized.
And there’s really nothing to preparing them. Insert a small knife into the opening on the bottom of the shell, cut the shell open, and remove the bright yellow lobes, which are the urchins’ reproductive organs. (They are not roe.) Most people are careful to remove the dark colored matter inside the shell, but the urchins we had were small and including this substance added, we thought, both a subtle additional flavor and contrasting color. In Alaska, we almost always have a jar or cured salmon roe on hand. This bright, salty, translucent salmon caviar is a perfect finishing touch on many dishes. For a popular recipe for making your own ikura, click here.
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Interesting! Did you go out and get the urchins yourself? When we lived in Juneau we’d find them on the beach all of the time, but haven’t seen any in Pilot Point.
We were gifted urchins and freshly dug clams for our New Year’s Eve dinner. You can see that post by clicking here. Thanks for reading!