GOLD COAST
You could be living near a goldmine with rare barnacles worth a fortune washing up on UK coast
BRITS could be living near a goldmine after rare barnacles worth a fortune were found washed up on a UK coast.
Ruth Crofts found thousands of extraordinary white-shelled creatures wrapped around the trunk of a tree while on a walk in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
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The trunk - believed to be from a palm tree or coconut tree - was thought to have come ashore at Newgale after recent storms and wet weather battered the country.
It meant Ruth stumbled upon her discovery of rare goose barnacles, with the sea creatures worth a small fortune.
The coveted barnacles are served as a luxury treat at high-end seafood restaurants and can demand high prices of up to £80 a kilo.
Ruth told : "I spotted the exotic traveller on Newgale after it had obviously got washed up by the high winds.
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"From the shape of it's base I believed it to be either a palm tree or a coconut tree.
"It has very obviously been at sea for a considerable time.
"It had been colonised by a host of goose barnacles and really was quite a sight on the pebble bank."
The rare species of barnacle are enjoyed in countries such as Portugal and Spain, where they are called percebes with prices rising to up to £300 per kilo.
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Each alien-like barnacle is said to be worth around £2.
Following Ruth’s discovery, beach explorers are reporting further sightings of goose barnacles along Pembrokeshire’s rocky beaches.
However, experts believe the Pembrokeshire shellfish may have been too small for dining tables.
They also said the barnacles had been washed up for too long to be edible, so aren't bringing in high prices as a delicacy anymore.
The barnacles are described as having a long fleshy stem that looks like a neck and a chalky white hard shell that houses the main body with their legs.
The creatures are usually found along the coastline of North America.
And those who have tried the delicacy say it tastes like a cross between lobster and clam, with a texture similar to octopus.
British chef Gordon Ramsay has previously featured goose barnacles in his Channel 4 series The F Word.
The only way to harvest the barnacles is to painstakingly pry them off a rock.
And the celebrity chef found out first-hand how dangerous the harvesting of goose barnacles is.
Fishermen often jump from their boats to razor-sharp rocks, where the winds are the strongest and the tide is the highest.
In his show, Ramsay recommends cooking them in salt water with bay leaf as well as only cooking the delicacy for one minute.
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He warned that putting them in the hot pan any longer results in them tasting like a "mouthful of elastic band".
The experienced chef also revealed his secret to getting the barnacles out of their shells - he says they must be peeled while warm.
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