How to enjoy fresh B.C. sea urchin at home

It mightlook like it'sfrom outer space but the sea urchinisas local as it gets.

And according to one seafood aficionado, there's no better time of year to get a taste of thedelicious "sea hedgehogs".

The water on B.C.'s coast iscoldest from September to March. And Jenice Yu saysthe cold water improves the taste of this ocean delicacy.

Yu owns Fresh Ideas Start Here (or FISH) a one stop-shop for seafood cooking tips and recipes.

She joined host Gloria Macarenko on CBC's Our Vancouver to share some ideas on how to prepare a locally-sourced sea urchin.

First, Yu suggests buying urchinsfrom divers and fish mongers you trustto make sure they are freshly caught.

Whenpreparing urchin at home, put on some gloves to protect yourself from the spikes. Yu uses scissors and her hands to break open the urchin shell, where there are usually five segments of roeinside.

She uses a spoon to scoop out the meat, andputs it in a water brine once out of the shell.

The traditional way to eat urchin isplacing it on a plate of udon noodles or rice. But Yu suggests it can also be put onto a scallop with some cilantro dressing.

"Sea urchin tastes like the ocean in a good way. Light and kind of salty," she said.

Yu also makes a crab-style dip with urchin.

She says the dip is cheesy and great for parties and potlucks, andis a great way to introduce sea urchin to people who have never tried it.

She says sea urchin is growing in popularity.

"People are more adventurous and people know it is a sustainable product from B.C., and customers always want to know where their food comes from."

To Watch Jenice Yu prepare the dishes with Gloria Macarenkoon Our Vancouver,click here.