Uni Scrambled Eggs Served in the Shell

⏱ 35 min · Serves 2

Silky, barely-set scrambled eggs enriched with butter and cream, spooned back into cleaned sea urchin shells and crowned with cool, sweet lobes of uni. A two-bite luxury that tastes like the sea kissed a custard — serve with warm brioche soldiers and cold champagne.

Per serving: 420 kcal · 21.0g protein · 18.0g carbs · 30.0g fat

Ingredients

• 4 live sea urchins (or 2 whole urchins plus 60g ready-cleaned uni lobes and 2 cleaned shells)
• 4 large eggs, very fresh
• 20g unsalted butter, cold and diced
• 1 tbsp double cream
• 1 tsp light soy sauce or dashi (optional, for umami)
• Flaky sea salt, to taste
• Pinch of white pepper
• 1 tsp finely snipped chives
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 thick slices brioche, toasted and cut into soldiers
• Coarse salt or seaweed, for plating

Method

1. Wearing thick gloves, hold each urchin mouth-side up. Snip a circle around the soft mouth with kitchen scissors and lift out the beak. Pour away the liquid.
2. Using a small spoon, gently lift out the five orange lobes of roe. Drop them into a bowl of ice-cold salted water for 1 minute to firm, then lift onto kitchen paper to drain.
3. Rinse the shells inside and out under cold running water, picking out any dark viscera. Boil the shells for 30 seconds, drain and dry. Set them upright in bowls of coarse salt or seaweed.
4. Chop half the uni lobes roughly; keep the best whole lobes chilled for the top.
5. Beat the eggs with the cream, white pepper and soy or dashi until just combined — don't over-aerate.
6. Melt half the butter in a small non-stick pan over low heat. Add the eggs and stir constantly with a silicone spatula, lifting from the base, for 4–6 minutes. Keep the heat gentle; you want soft, glossy curds, never dry.
7. When the eggs are about 80% set, pull the pan off the heat. Stir in the remaining cold butter and the chopped uni — the residual heat will melt them into a custardy sauce. Season with flaky salt.
8. Spoon the eggs into the urchin shells, filling to the rim. Top each with 2–3 whole uni lobes, a scatter of chives and a whisper of lemon zest.
9. Serve immediately with hot brioche soldiers for dipping.