Percebes

Percebes (Goose Barnacles), Simply Boiled

Percebes are wild goose barnacles harvested from the jagged Atlantic coast of Galicia. They are traditionally eaten plain, served hot from the pot with nothing more than the cooking water, so that the diner can appreciate their pure, briny sweetness.

Prep

10 min

Cook

5 min

Total

15 min

Serves

2 as a tapa, 4 as part of a seafood spread

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1.1 lb) percebes (goose barnacles), fresh, still alive; from a trusted fishmonger
• •30 g (¼ cup) coarse sea salt, or 1 heaped tbsp; use the coarsest salt available
• •1 bay leaf bay leaf, optional, traditional in some Galician homes

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the percebes briefly in cold water, discarding any that are open and do not close when tapped (they should be alive). Pat them dry.
2. 2 Bring a wide pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the coarse sea salt and the bay leaf, if using; the water should taste distinctly of the sea.
3. 3 Working in batches so as not to crowd the pot, drop the percebes into the boiling water. Cover the pot immediately with a lid to keep them submerged, as the barnacles often try to jump out.
4. 4 Boil for exactly 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on size. The exterior shell should be vivid reddish-purple and slightly loosened from the neck; overcooking makes the flesh rubbery and ruins the dish.
5. 5 Lift the percebes out with a slotted spoon or tongs and pile them onto a warmed plate or into a small bowl. Serve immediately, while still steaming.
6. 6 To eat, pull the rubbery outer tube downward along the stone (cal) and squeeze the pale, tender flesh of the peduncle out from the top. Do not eat the hard triangular cal at the base.