From kayaks, Jupiter’s crew often observes Giant Red Sea Cucumbers (Apostichopus californicus) skulking around rocky shores. We are unexpectedly afforded an opportunity to dive in to this delectable echinoderm, a desirable Asian delicacy.
The most challenging aspect of the endeavor is shoving your entire over-sized body, including protuberances, into a thick wetsuit with the elasticity of carpet, through an impossibly small zippered chest aperture, requiring 20 minutes out of sight, banging around on your back like an overturned ungulate.
Fully encased, we closely resemble the seals who appear horrified as they watch from a nearby seaweed-sweatered rock as we slip into the frigid and murky waters.
The scene disturbs nearby seals which forever abandon their favorite haul out.
Kyle, our free and foraging guide, reaps the ocean’s harvest with practiced certitude. We gather cucumbers, urchins, kelp and prawns, a feast for intertidal gatherers and sea otters alike.
The bounty: Spot Prawn, Sea Urchin, Cucumbers, Kelp.
Our cucumbers are long, weighing pounds. Their papillae, conical spikes which protrude from their bodies, grow longer with age and have the effect of making them appear fierce, which they are not.
By slicing off each unidentified end and emptying the trunk of seawater and internal organs, we are left with the meat of the matter. Five long muscles, until recently used for locomotion, run the length of the cylindrical body. These Kyle deftly separates from the leathery skin with a sharp blade held with a secret handshake.
Kyle, forager-chef, addresses a harvested Giant Red Sea Cucumber
These unacculturated bodies burn more calories evading kelp ensnarement in such gelid waters than we could possibly gain from the seafood on offer. Our sealy-eyed view of such a richly inhabited environment is abundant payback for the cold comforts it affords. Perhaps next time we can simply reach down from atop the kayaks.
Kelp Salad
Blanch kelp in rapidly boiling water then immerse in an ice bath. This will render the seaweed bright green. Prepare a vinaigrette of rice-wine vinegar, mirin, tamari and sesame oil. Slice the seaweed into narrow strips. Coat with the dressing and top with sesame seeds.
Tempura Sea Cucumber
Cure the sea cucumber meats in equal parts salt, sugar and citrus rind for about 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. Prepare a loose tempura batter by mixing ice-cold club soda with rice flour, cornstarch and seasonings. Swim the meat in the batter then immerse in light hot oil until crispy. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and seaweed salad on the side.
“Here is the repulsant snozzcumber!” cried the BFG, waving it about. “I squoggle it! I mispise it! I dispunge it! But because I is refusing to gobble up human beans like the other giants, I must spend my life guzzling up icky-poo snozzcumbers instead!”
The BFG ~ Roald Dahl
Can you say radial symmetry? Love the title. Love eating them a little less. I slightly prefer jellyfish. You?
Thanks Bruce! I actually found it all to be quite delicious. We ate the urchin (beautiful radial symmetry) right from the shell, perfectly chilled by the ocean. The sea cucumber was surprisingly tender and tasty, but even an old shoe lace is better when tempura battered.
A nod to the BFG, would be:
“What I say and what I means is 2 different things”
Therefore what I say, is “ wow “and what I means
Is “ wowser” !!!!!
Perfectly stated!