Gooseneck barnacles, renowned as “the delicacy of the sea,” are a hidden treasure found clinging to rugged coastal rocks in the most remote corners of the world. These extraordinary creatures have captivated culinary enthusiasts for generations with their exquisite flavor and unique appearance – Wild food aficionado and diver, Evan O’Brian and Chef Mathew Scaletta of Wildfish Cannery among them. The two have paired up – O’Brian harvesting by hand along the coastline of Sitka, Alaska, Scaletta preparing and canning – to bring us these remarkable Gooseneck Barnacles in Brine.

Foraging at Low Tide

Evan O’Brien, an experienced and dedicated harvester, has immersed himself in the rugged beauty of Baranof Island, Alaska, to bring you some of finest gooseneck barnacles available. With immense expertise and utmost care, Evan personally hand-picks each barnacle, ensuring only the highest quality ones make it into your tins.

Bounty!

To preserve the barnacles’ natural flavors and textures, they are carefully prepared and packed in brine by Chef Mathew Scaletta, allowing you to experience the authentic taste of the sea with every bite. This gentle process ensures that the barnacles retain their delicate sweetness, firm texture, and distinctive briny essence.

We must emphasize that these Gooseneck Barnacles in Brine are available in limited quantities due to their rarity. As demand for this extraordinary delicacy is high, we encourage you to claim yours before they’re gone!

Check out our full selection of Tinned Barnacles, and read more about this collaboration on Wildfish Cannery’s Blog

The conservas industry, although very trendy as of late, has historically been guided by conglomerates that sacrifice quality and the environment to drive down price as quickly as possible, resulting in the regrettable “Chicken of the Sea” reputation that the industry is trying to shake today.

Several years ago we started noticing a shift in the world of seafood; tinned seafood, to be exact. We poured over information and discovered that a renaissance of sorts was happening in the canning industry. Specific attention is being paid to how fish is caught, with strict measures against overfishing aiming to provide sustainable and highly nutritious food sources. Harking back to old time practices of conservation, the producers we work with are fishing seasonally, in optimal conditions and canning immediately to preserve freshness and nutritional value. The canning process extends the shelf life immeasurably and makes conservas one of the wisest and most value dense food choices currently available.

Harvesting Mussels

The founder of Patagonia (with their own conservas provisions line), Yvon Chouinard, really says it best: “People need a new jacket every five or ten years, but they eat three times a day. If we really want to protect our planet, it starts with food.” For Yvon, it started with rope-cultivated and nutrient dense mussels, which don’t require any farming or additives to prosper and are naturally regenerative, actually cleaning the waters around them. Responsible fisheries and canneries are well aware of how to cultivate the sea to obtain abundant sources that are lower on the food chain. Thankfully the world is more aware today than we were just a few years ago about the dangers of overfishing and over polluting our waters. In fact, there is even occasional good news to report! Some species are being removed from endangered lists as their populations are being properly managed. We’re proud to say that our producers are the ones leading the pack in making the waters a prosperous and sustainable environment for all.

Conservas Gift Bundle

Unfortunately, our producers remain in the vast minority. The modern agricultural complex will not give way easily and, perhaps because the category is trendy, it is actually becoming harder to identify responsible canneries. We’re savvy to this and vet our purveyors cautiously, examining their fishing and labor practices to confirm, without doubt, that they are doing things the right way; out of respect rather than the bottom line. We’re proud to offer a wide array of responsible producers coming to us from all over the world, from the Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska, to the famous Galician coast, up to Nordic waters, and seemingly everywhere in between! All of our producers stand by their unadulterated and clean products with the same pride we do for our market.

Mama Africa is Back!

Cathy Tshilombo-Lokemba, affectionately known as “Mama Africa,” produces intensely spicy, yet disarmingly tasty Pili-Pili sauce. A refugee, former clothing designer, and restaurateur, “Mama Africa” creates the best authentic African hot sauce we’ve tried. Utah based and beloved by local folks, her family recipe is as hot as they come.

Mama Africa has recently made the jump out of the incubator kitchen and into her own space. Having access to new equipment has allowed for improvements to her signature Pili-Pili hot sauce, and created opportunities for her to start making new treats for us to try…

We are excited to announce Mama Africa’s latest addition to her line of authentic African hot sauces: Ndungu Nzitende. Inspired by family tradition and recipes from her grandmother, it needs to be tried to be understood. Trust us, it is just as delicious and addicting as her original Pili-Pili sauce and as always, every bottle is produced with love and care.

When an entire week is dedicated to a single cocktail, one can’t help but appreciate the gravity of the Negroni. What is it about this red hued cocktail that makes it so esteemed?

One thing that is immediately obvious is the perfect trinity of its equal parts. With a 1:1:1 ratio of booze components, this is actually one of the easiest cocktails to make. And yet, the Negroni can be shockingly variable depending on where you order one! What is it that brings this Old Guard cocktail into perfect harmony?

In our unquenchable thirst for the perfect Negroni, Matt and I have been fortunate to taste our fair share, and then some. Different gins, an array of vermouths, and even non-Campari Italian bitter aperitivi. After trial and hardly any errors (after all, a Negroni is still delicious even when not “perfect”), we have settled upon a recipe that is in complete harmony with itself.

Bitters, much like salt to grilling, is an essential spice to cocktail making. In our research, a dash or several of bitters really does bring the drink together. The best part is you can test our theory  easily yourself. Simply make a drink and try it before and after you add your bitters. Boom!

The Negroni, by nature, is not shy about its bitterness. So why would you want to add bitters to an already notably bitter concoction? Because the word bitters fails to adequately describe the aromatic bouquet of botanicals that the vial will inevitably impart. And it is precisely because of this journey from bitter, to sweet, to herbaceous, that rounds out this vibrant classic cocktail that so many have come to adore. The Negroni Bitters from Mister Bitters, produced by our friend John Dimitropoulos, in Melbourne, Australia, 100% delivers on this promise. Notes of star anise and chamomile, mixed with vibrant oranges and lemons add a layer of complexity and ultimately balance out the inimitable Negroni.

Ideal as an aperitivo to be consumed before a meal but frankly just as delicious after.

In anticipation of Caputo’s Cheese Caves Week, I was tasked with preparing a “cheese cocktail,” which in modern food-speak usually refers to pairing cheeses with cocktails, or more specifically, garnishing a cocktail with cheese. More on both below!

As I marinated on the task at hand, I couldn’t help but think of how to marry two of my favorite categories: cheese and booze. Though possibly strange sounding at first, dairy and alcohol are no strangers. I thoroughly enjoyed my White Russians in the early 2000s. Or was it the late 1990s? Sshhh….

One of my all time favorite food pairings is Ossau Iraty Reserve sheep’s milk cheese from the Basque region of France along with plump Luxardo Maraschino cherries. PLEASE give this a try if you haven’t already. A guaranteed good time. Since cherries are synonymous with boozy cocktails, I decided to riff on classic cocktails to usher in the matrimony of sweet and savory.

In my unconventional and cheesy take on the Sazerac or the equally applicable Vieux Carré, another classic cocktail of New Orleans fame, I decided to use the herbaceous Benedictine liqueur from France as my sweeting agent. It was in this exact moment that I chose to heat the alcohol and use it as my medium for the cheese. I combined the sweet liqueur with the cheese over medium low heat and melted the two into a gooey and very fragrant syrup. The vapors of this consummate concoction were intoxicating and filled the house with a perfume reminiscent of fall baking. I chose to combine my remaining boozy ingredients in a mixing glass before adding the cheese syrup, ensuring that all elements emulsified smoothly, which they did. At the end, I added ice cubes to chill the warm mixture. In my book, a cocktail without bitters is not worth the time. Sure, you can skip it, but why would you deprive yourself of the ultimate cocktail spice when you went through the trouble of making a cocktail in the first place? I topped the mixing glass with generous dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters to tie it all together. I’d be remiss if I didn’t garnish with a Luxardo cherry and a hunk of Ossau Iraty cheese. It’s boozy, fragrant and oh-so-cheesy.

LET’S TALK PAIRINGS

Though determined to make cheesy cocktails a thing, one of our favorite pastimes at Caputo’s is finding the ultimate pairings. I couldn’t help it when a bundle of Caputo’s Cheese Cave cheeses arrived at my door for this fun assignment. Let us not forget that in France, it is the cheese course that typically follows the dessert course; one of my personal favorite culinary customs and a delightful way to consume cheese: at the end of the meal. At this moment, I am usually hankering for an amaro or similar digestif. In fact, I often skip the dessert so that I can thoroughly enjoy the sweet and herbal sips. My “research” has led to some absolutely not-to-miss and you-must-try-this-at-home results. Please try one or all of these pairings next time you’re entertaining. They are unique and stimulating and much like in France, will extend the gathering that you don’t want to end.

• Chartreuse + Toma di Capra
• Cynar + Revived Taleggio
• Benedictine + Ossau Iraty Reserve
• Scotch + Revived Casatica di Bufala

NOW, LET’S MAKE THAT COCKTAIL
Oh-Ssau-Boozy

• 1 oz Benedictine Herbal Liqueur
• 1 oz Caputo’s Ossau Iraty Reserve, chopped or sliced into small, thin pieces, plus a 1×1” cube for garnish
• 1.5 oz Cognac
• 1 teaspoon Absinthe
• 2 dashes of Peychauds
• Luxardo maraschino cherries for garnish
• Ice
• Mixing glass
• Mixing spoon

Gently and slightly heat the Benedictine over low to medium flame. Add the prepared Ossau Iraty to the liqueur and mash with a fork. As cheese begins to soften reduce the heat to low and use a small whisk to combine. Keep on heat and whisk until smooth, caramel consistency. Remove from heat.

Congrats: you’ve made a cheese syrup! In a mixing glass, add Cognac, Absinthe and stir. Slowly add the cheese syrup and stir vigorously to combine**. Add 2 dashes of Peychaud’s and continue to stir to combine. Add ice and stir for 20-30 seconds to chill the cocktail. Pour into glass.  Garnish with a cocktail pick of cheese and Luxardo cherries.

**Optional: strain into glass if preferred to avoid any cheese solids that may have formed.