To clean the urchins, gently hold them upside down in the palm of your hand (they will not sting). Use small scissors and make a hole on the underside/soft side of the urchin. Cut a round hole a little larger than the size of a golf ball into the shell. Pour the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Keep some of the liquid. It will provide the dish with umami flavours. Remove all the black and brown particles from the uni. Use a small espresso spoon to remove the five orange gonads very gently and set aside. Wash the uni shells clean and let dry on a plate.

Crack the eggs into a bowl, add three tablespoons of the strained liquid and the cream, and beat it with a whisk or fork for half a minute and season with black pepper.

Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, scramble the eggs gently. Remove from heat when the eggs are still runny.

Fill the sea urchin shells with the scrambled eggs and evenly lay the scallop slices on top of the eggs and top them with the sea urchin pieces. Garnish with caviar and fresh chervil or chives.

If desired, add a tiny tip of a knife of wasabi to the dish for those who like it spicy.

Did you know? 
Sea urchin harvesting in Atlantic Canada kicks off in late fall and continues to early spring. Suited-up divers hand-pick these spiky treasures from the ocean floor to ensure quality and sustainability. Most of the harvest heads straight to Japan, where it’s a sought-after delicacy and fetches a premium price on the market. Check with your local seafood market or grocery store seafood section for availability. Trying them for the first time? Tell us what you think.