sea urchin recipe

Sea urchins are considered a pest, wiping out the seaweed habitat and leaving a barren white rock ‘moonscape’ in their wake, and with their numbers so high they are causing an imbalance in the biodiversity.

Rachel Theodore, who runs Sea Urchin Harvest inTomakin on the south coast, says, “When urchin population numbers get out of control, the results are devastating for the reefs and marine life.”

Sea Urchin Harvest’s goal is to restore the local kelp forest and fish habitat (which has been lost to Centrostephanus rodgetsii urchin along the east coast of Australia) via a commercially viable and sustainable sea urchin fishery.When the sea urchins are removed from the barrens, by hand, seaweeds rapidly colonise. In areas that have been commercially harvested for urchin, the kelp forest regenerates in a matter of a year or two.

For more, see seaurchinharvest.com.au

sea urchin fettuccine carbonara

A DELICIOUS WAY TO INCORPORATE SEA URCHIN INTO YOUR DIET, AND HELP THE PLANET WHILE YOU’RE AT IT

Recipe & images Stefan Posthuma

SERVES 4

Ingredients

300g smoked speck, diced 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 6 egg yolks 100g Sea Urchin Harvest Creamy Pods 200g parmesan cheese, grated, plus extra, to serve 500g fettuccine pasta 100g butter 1 bunch chives, chopped sea salt

Method

1. Place a frypan over a medium heat, add the speck and cook until golden brown. 2. Add the garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes until it has cooked through and the fat from the speck has rendered, then remove from the heat. 3. Meanwhile, use a blender to mix the egg yolks, sea urchin and parmesan cheese until well combined. 4. In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente then drain, reserving the pasta cooking liquid. 5. Transfer the pasta into a large cold pan, add the egg and sea urchin mixture with a ladle of the pasta cooking liquid, the butter, speck, speck fat and garlic. 6. Place over a low flame and toss the pasta until the egg mixture thickens to coat the pasta. 7. Transfer to a serving bowl and finish with the chopped chives, sea salt and some more parmesan.