This Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted Ingredient Is One Of The Most Expensive In The World
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is not afraid of exploring the unknown. As far as food is concerned, Ramsay does not mind going that extra mile to get his hands on rare ingredients. According to Food Sided, the chef has experimented like never before while filming the show "Uncharted Portugal." Think about this: He has dived into the sea to find scallops in Norway and has even tackled a rattlesnake somewhere along the way. Not an easy feat, by any means.
He explained his viewpoint, saying, "I want to reposition the view of a region's cuisine, and show that by peeling back the layers, we can get to the root of its reputation." The chef added that getting access to different ingredients and exploring Portugal's food culture expanded his horizons in a big way. Ramsay added, "It's opened up my mind to larders of ingredients that I'm not using, and has given me a broader foundation from which to draw."
On that note, Ramsay has now gotten his hands on an incredibly rare and unusual ingredient that's viewed by many as a delicacy.
People have died searching for this valuable ingredient
Per Food Sided, Gordon Ramsay managed to find Gooseneck Barnacles while working on "Uncharted Portugal." This is no ordinary ingredient and is extremely pricey. You see, it's not easily accessible and requires a person to look for them around treacherous rocks by the sea. It's pretty dangerous to find them in the first place. So, you are looking at a hefty price tag: more than $100 for just one kilo. Whew.
These ingredients are known as percebes and are generally sweet. They remind many of lobsters and clams. One Redditor wrote that they found the seafood dish absolutely delicious, saying, "I boil them for 90 seconds in seawater/ salt water, put them on ice and once they're cool...pull the head off, hopefully taking out the meat with it." They added that they cook them with mussel and barnacle juice, white wine, pepper, and butter. Yum.
Another Redditor mentioned that Gooseneck Barnacles are highly valuable in Spain and Portugal. They're so notorious, in fact, that people have died while searching for them in difficult conditions. Yikes.