Ingredients:

  • 100g Uni (Sea Urchin) grade A
  • 750ml seafood stock
  • 120ml dry white wine
  • 60ml heavy cream
  • 1 strip (2-inch) Kombu
  • 225g large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and halved
  • 225g bay scallops
  • 2 large shallots, finely minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated into paste
  • 30g unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely snipped
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 4 fresh uni tongues (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Place the 750ml seafood stock and the 2 inch strip of kombu in a small pot. Bring it to a bare simmer over medium heat, but do not let it reach a rolling boil. Once it's steaming, turn off the heat and let it steep for 10 minutes, then discard the kombu.
  2. In your main heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the 30g of unsalted butter over medium low heat. Add the minced shallots and the grated ginger paste. Sauté for about 4 minutes until the shallots are translucent and smelling sweet. You aren't looking for color here — browning the shallots will make the final soup look muddy.
  3. Pour in the 120ml of dry white wine. Increase the heat slightly and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. This concentrates the flavors and cooks off the harsh alcohol edge, leaving behind a fruity, acidic base that smells absolutely divine.
  4. Take half of your 100g uni and mash it into a smooth paste using a fork. Add this paste into the wine and shallot mixture, whisking constantly. Pour in the 60ml of heavy cream and whisk until the mixture is uniform and pale orange.
  5. Slowly whisk the warm, kombu infused seafood stock into your uni cream base. Bring the entire mixture to a very gentle simmer. You should see small bubbles around the edges, but the center shouldn't be boiling. The aroma at this point should be a mix of ginger, cream, and the deep sea.
  6. Add the 225g of halved shrimp and 225g of bay scallops to the pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the shrimp turn opaque and the scallops feel firm. Do not walk away! Overcooked scallops turn into rubber erasers, and we want them to be buttery and soft.
  7. Stir in the 1 tsp of lemon zest and the remaining whole uni pieces from the original 100g. The heat of the soup will barely warm these through, keeping their shape intact.
  8. Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Top each serving with one of the 4 reserved fresh uni tongues, a sprinkle of snipped chives, and maybe a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately while the steam carries that briny, buttery aroma directly to your guests' senses.