Swake Guisado

Method

1. Purchase cleaned sea urchin roe from a licensed food supplier and keep it packed over ice until cooking.
2. Pick through gently for shell fragments without crushing the lobes; drain in a fine sieve for 5 minutes.
3. Heat oil over medium-low heat and soften garlic and shallot for 1 minute without browning.
4. Add tomato and chile and cook 2 minutes until the tomato releases a little juice.
5. Fold in the sea urchin and cook gently, stirring carefully, until it reaches 63°C throughout. Remove from the heat as soon as that endpoint is reached rather than relying on a 60–90-second warming time.
6. Remove from the heat, add calamansi, spring onion, pepper, and fish sauce only if needed after tasting.
7. Serve immediately over hot rice or toast. Do not hold the cooked roe at room temperature.