Sea Urchin Crostini (and How to Clean Urchins)

This is my twentieth offering in the 2025 Alphabet Challenge, our second year of working our way through the alphabet with recipes. It's actually the 21st post, but I missed the letter 'R' because I was traveling. But I'm back for the rest of the year. It's hard to believe that we are into the final quarter of the year...and the alphabet. We post every other week for the entire alphabet and this is year two. Thanks for starting this series, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm.

U is for...

• Apple Bourbon Upside Down Cake by A Messy Kitchen

• Black Forest Upside Down Cake by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Chunky Pumpkin Ancho Unsweetened Cocoa Chili by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

• Jumbo Upside Down Pineapple Muffins by Blogghetti

• Sea Urchin Crostini by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Ube Pandesal by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

• Udon Noodle Salad by Mayuri’s Jikoni

• Umeboshi Calamansi Lime Juice by Food Lust People Love

• Upside Down Apricot Bundt by Sneha’s Recipe

• Upside Down Bacon Apple Pancake by Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Sea Urchin Crostini

First you have to clean the urchin. To see how to do that, scroll down. But after they are clean, you can get creative. I wanted to make a simple crostini with some of these.

Ingredients

• bread

• olive oil

• fresh urchin

• salt

• pepper

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the bread into 1/2-inch thickness and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place the bread in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil. Place in the preheated oven for 4 minutes. Turn the toasts over and return to the oven for an additional 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. They will crisp up even more as they cool.

To serve, place urchin on top of the toasted bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with more olive oil, if desired.

...and How to Clean Urchins

I am so lucky to live where I have access to fresh urchins...and especially lucky to have a skilled Kitchen Giant to clean them for me!

After I saw that urchins were back at Monterey Abalone Co., I ran over there and picked up a few. Here's how to clean them.

Step One: Marvel at the urchin...in all its intimidating glory.

Step Two: Run a knife along the soft spot in the bottom and remove the teeth.

Step Three: Use sharp kitchen snips to cut the urchin in half.

Step Four: Clean all the muck away from the roe.

Step Five: Plate the roe. You're ready to eat.

This Time Last Year...

My posts are below with links to everyone else's recipes. I skipped letter 'F' apparently. Enjoy!

• A Reclaimed Æbleskiver Pan + Æbleskiver Bread Pudding

• Börek with a California Twist

• Crab-Stuffed Ravioli

• Dark Chocolate-Juniper Panna Cotta

• Elderflower & Roasted Strawberry Layer Cake

• Aïgo Bouido (Provençal Garlic Soup)

• Halva with Fiori di Sicilia

• I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Saffron-Cardamom Ice Cream

• Bulgogi-Inspired Oven Beef Jerky

• Purple Napa Kimchi

• Lingcod Over Legumes

• Mushrooms in My Cookies? Yep. Candy Cap Cookies.

• Nocino, Italian Green Walnut Liqueur

• How to Shuck Oysters and a Few Serving Ideas

• A Parade of Pickles, Including Pickled Chard Stems

• Quesabirria Tacos

• Rose Petal-Strawberry Granita

• Buttermilk Shortcakes with Macerated Berries

• Toasted Croutons

• Curry Udon with Prawns

So Far This Year...

Again: my posts are below with links to everyone else's recipes.

• The Polarizing Anchovy + Egg Salad Niçoise

• A Belated Birthday Bûche De Noël (Yule Log)

• Lemon Lavender Blackberry Cake

• Gluten-Free Crystal Dumplings in Noodle Soup

• A Dozen Eggs - Stuffed, Scotch, Curried, and More

• Fig Leaf-Wrapped Cheese

• Garlicky Fregola with Edamame, Mint, and Ricotta

• Huckleberry & Earl Grey Tea Cakes

• Es Teler (Indonesian Drunk Ice)

• Inspired by a One-Word Text: Jjamppong

• A Fruit Formerly Known as ‘Kaffir’ + Makrut-Kissed Cookies

• Enamored with Culinary Lavender: From Sips to Sweets

• Mini Peach Galettes

• White Nectarine-Lime Jam

• Octopus: Takoyaki, a Japanese Snack Food, from a Santa Cruz Apartment

• Brunede Kartofler (Danish Caramel Potatoes)

• Quince Sharlotka

• I missed 'R' but you can see everyone's post in Wendy's R is for Rustic Rye Sourdough Loaf

• Semifreddo al Miele

• Bitter Orange and Blackberry Thumbprint Cookies

That's a wrap for my offering for the letter 'u'. We will be back in two weeks with the letter 'v'. Stay tuned!