The creation of this project can be attributed to the many trials and tribulations of working in a professional kitchen, as well as to the life experiences that mold a person into the individual they become!
Sea Urchin popcorn, serving as a joyful canape or amuse bouche to whet the appetite is quite simply the best movie theatre popcorn you will ever taste! Simple popcorn tossed with a sea urchin butter- made by spinning softened butter in a robot coupe until smooth, blending fresh sea urchin and gradually adding the urchin to create a solid emulsion. Gently heated and added to the popcorn, the urchin butter serves to dress the popcorn, exceeding the capabilities of anything dispensed out of the spout of your local theatre's concession stand. Togarashi is a wonderfully aromatic spice that brings about an interesting contrast to the rich treat. Bottarga, cured fish roe is a delectable salty treat to be microplaned over the popcorn. The bottarga will pair nicely with the sea urchin and contributes the desired salinity in our favorite snack. To incite a playful mood to kick off the dinner, I will serve the popcorn inside of a carefully cleaned sea urchin shell!
This dish came about almost by accident, as I was preparing a similar sea urchin butter concoction and a fellow cook jokingly tossed our bar snack of spiced popcorn at me. It landed right in the urchin butter, and he instantly apologized for ruining my work. I tasted it and told him "Thank you so much", which he took as sarcasm, although I meant it with complete sincerity as he inspired a near revelatory experience for my culinary repertoire.