Harvesting Barnacles in Portugal | Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted

[music playing]

Man, those percebes were absolutely amazing. But super simple. Now according to Kiko, they're not as simple to get. He's arranged for me to meet a very talented local sea barnacle harvester who'll show me how to really get these prized assets.

• Ricardo.

• Hey Gordon.

• Hi bud.

• It's amazing today.

• Good to see you, bud. I'm so happy to be here.

Ricardo Kazmi is a percebes harvester. That does not look easy.

• We'll see.

He forages year-round for the barnacles and knows the waters here like the back of his hand. Look at those waves.

• Going to be rough. The harder the waves are, and the deeper the percebes are--

• Right.

• --the bigger they are and the better.

• Per-seh-bi.

• We good. Per-seh-bish.

• Per-seh-bish.

• Yeah, almost, almost.

• Let's go. Wetsuit on?

• Yeah.

• Is size important for you? Or thickness? No--

• We're talking about the percebes?

• We are talking about percebes.

• Of course it is.

• The thickness or the size?

• Both.

• Both.

• 2 centimeters, and like thickness of a finger.

• Gotcha.

• Those are the ones perfect.

• Gotcha.

• They will cost roughly 90, 100 euros kilograms.

• 100 euros a kilo?

• Yeah. Because you're risking your life doing this.

• Yeah [muted] I have to check on my insurance. Percebes are even harder to gather than to pronounce. Each year in Portugal, a handful of people die collecting them. Hopefully, the ocean is hungry for a new victim.

• We need to be constantly watching. Never turn your back to the ocean. Never.

• Never turn your back, no. Got you, captain. Man, you're like Spider Man. Seriously, can you slow down?

Now all of a sudden you start to see the size of those waves.

• You don't see them yet. You will feel them. Time to get wet.

• [muted] Really? For a veteran like Ricardo, this is a walk in the park. But it makes me wish I had a stunt double.

• Ready yourself.

• [muted]

• How was it? We need to move from there.

• You can hide in the [muted] hole.

• OK, Chief, now it's the timing.

Finding the right size barnacles takes incredible timing, great strength, and just a touch of crazy. This is not like foraging berries. This is foraging on steroids. [muted] now that is amazing. Bloody hell. Aren't they beautiful? Really beautiful. Wow.

• Now it's your turn. But first we need to wait, there is coming a massive set.

• Is there really?

• Look at the lines, let's--

• [muted] [muted] This is mad. That is strong.

• Be careful.

• We need to move. Stand.

• [muted]

• Gordon, hide, hide, hide, hide, hide. There is a big set coming. [waves crashing]

• [muted] I can't get it.

• Let's search another hole.

With the final cook in a few days time, failure is not an option. So Ricardo suggests we try our luck in a different spot.

• Try to catch those ones, come on Gordon. Got them? Careful.

You start to realize the danger when you're chipping away, the waves coming in. You let go, do you let go of the goods or do you save onto your life? [waves crashing]

• Nice size.

• You did it.

• 100 euros a kilo. One of the most expensive shellfish anywhere on the planet. I see why now, because they're the most dangerous.

• Let's go.

• Amazing. This confirms how rugged, but stunning this country is, especially on the coastline. Because look at it. To the naked eye, it just looks like waves pounding the rocks. But there's so much activity under there, and it's incredible. Good job, bud. Honestly. Amazing. Adventurous, dangerous, stupid, and delicious.