Aliter in Echino (Sauce for Sea Urchin) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic dish of sea urchin glands cooked in a sauce of pepper, costmary, mint, mulsum, stock, spikenard and bayleaf. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Sauce for Sea Urchin (Aliter in Echino).
Sauce for Sea Urchin: [Use] pepper, a little costmary, dried mint, mulsum, liquamen, Indian spikenard and bayleaf.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
For the Sauce:
1/4 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
pinch of costmary (or mint)
generous pinch of dried mint
2 tbsp mulsum (or sweet white wine or mead)
250ml fish stock
pinch of ground spikenard
1/4 bayleaf, crumbled
15 (about) sea urchins
Method:
Begin with the sauce. Combine the stock, mulsum, spikenard, bayleaf, mint, costmary and black pepper in a pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
Now prepare the sea urchins. The edible parts are actually the five sex glands, namely the coral and the liquid that surrounds them and these are found on the underside of the animal near the mouth (the section with no spines). To prepare the sea urchins, take small, pointed scissors and cut off the top quarter or half of the shell, beginning from the soft area where there are no spines. Discard this lid then remove and discard the digestive organ. Now gently remove the five 'tongues' with a small spoon (these are the edible glands) then save and strain the liquid from the sea urchins. Save four of the shells to use as dishes in which to serve this meal.
Add the edible glands and the liquid to the sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Spoon the mixture into the prepared shells and serve.
)
Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.