Caviar in almost all of its forms goes very well with a martini.

Sea urchin is one example – although it’s not to everyone’s taste.

It is very much a delicacy in Japan, where it is known as uni (うに) but it is not as widely consumed or farmed in the West.

It is creamy and rich with a slightly pungent aftertaste.

You can get them at good fishmongers, or you can try foraging for them yourself, either as a diver or along rocky beaches at low tide.

I went swimming with family to help manage a hangover.

Just before diving in, my brother spotted a spikey specimen stuck to the rocks.

His instinct was to avoid it, but mine was to catch it and eat it. Which I did.

You need to be fairly firm to prise it from the rocks without damaging it. A bit of wiggling should help dislodge it.

Once you get it home it’s slightly fiddly to prepare but pretty easy once you’re used to it.

You will need:

• Sturdy scissors
• A teaspoon
• A small bowl of salted water

Use the scissors to pierce and then cut out the mouth. Turn the sea urchin over and let the liquid drain out.

Prise or cut it into two halves, being careful not to damage any of the uni in the process.

Use a spoon to very gently but firmly tease the mustard-coloured flesh away from the shell. You might need to use your fingers, chopsticks or tweezers.

Place the roe in a small bowl of salted water and gentle rinse it to remove cloudiness and any bits of membrane (such as the dark coloured patches) from the surface of the roe.

When the piece is clean it is ready to serve as it is, although you can also chill it in the fridge until drink o’clock.

It has a very rich flavour, so you don’t need to eat a lot. It also goes extremely well with an astringent martini which helps cut through the semi-sulphur flavour palette of the roe.

I think it goes best with some sort of variation of pickle-based martini, such as the under-celebrated Filthy Martini (garnished with a pickled caperberry) or the mighty Gibson!

Enjoy!