Smoked salmon by Carlos Piernas, the chef who smokes with pine cones

Have you ever burned a green pine cone? Its intense smoke is a blend of balsamic oils, forest fire, and mushrooms, an unforgettable aroma.

Carlos is a chef who has spent his life experimenting with smoking, observing techniques from all over the world and has managed to reach his ideal smoking point.

In Spanish and Italian culinary culture, we don't appreciate heavily smoked salmon as we do in Northern Europe; we Latin Americans prefer light, almost imperceptible smoking, the kind that makes salmon taste neither raw nor smoked.

Today I want to try to tell you a few small details about the experience I had a few years ago when I went to visit Carpier in Barcelona.

The Carpier Ahumados company and the secrets of smoked salmon

Carpier Ahumados was founded in 1995 by Carlos Piernas del Amor with the philosophy that has always accompanied all his projects: the creation and development of products of the highest possible quality.

Carpier Ahumados began its business with the production of smoked salmon, and through a careful traditional smoking process, developed a product that today has won national and international recognition, both for its exquisite flavor and its extreme quality, becoming one of the indispensable gourmet products in haute cuisine .

Upon entering the small establishment, you immediately breathe an air of extreme cleanliness and Catalan-Japanese precision.

The whole salmon, strictly Icelandic, must weigh at least 10 kg , and pass through rigid quality controls on beautiful round-edged steel tables, where they are filleted by the skilled Japanese master in charge of production and right-hand man of Carlos Piernas.

In the video below, the chef demonstrates the fundamental aspects of salmon processing and smoking , which is carried out using pine cones found in Catalonia, which give the salmon a unique aroma and flavour.

Caramelized and Cold-Smoked Salmon

After about 12 hours the salmon is ready to be smoked, strictly cold .

The smoking process uses natural smoke from burning deresinated Mediterranean pine cones. The smoke is first cooled to a maximum of 3ºC and filtered to achieve this distinctive aroma: Carlos's true secret.

Once smoked, the whole flank is schematically sectioned to produce salmon ingots to be consumed in thick slices like sashimi.

Smoked and Flavored Salmon for Your Restaurant

Carlos's gastronomic flair has also led him to produce flavoured salmon with incredible combinations:

• Salmon with Gin and Tonic , flavoured with fresh lime peel and fine gin,
• Salmon with vodka and beetroot powder
• Nori salmon , a bar wrapped in Japanese nori seaweed.

Order Online

150g frozen smoked Carpier salmon ingot in 3 variants

Salmon with coffee: a surprise for the palate

Prepared by freshly grinding premium Italian coffee beans, it is the ideal salmon for a five-star luxury international breakfast.

For Carlos, flavoring is a game of subtle balances that do not cancel out the personality, flavor, color, juiciness, and firmness, but enhance its taste through exciting gustatory emotions.

Where to buy Carpier smoked salmon for your restaurant?

The idea for Conkilia was born as a response to this question.

Conkilia is a platform that connects producers and customers, an online fish market that is constantly updated with news about products, their origins, and traceability. The ability to make products available, together with a team of specialists who manage direct dialogue with chefs, creates a tailor-made service that aims to create the first community between global fish producers and professionals in the Ho.Re.Ca. sector.
We are constantly focused on product quality, sustainability, and traceability, allowing all chefs and restaurateurs to have the wholesale sale of fresh and frozen fish at their fingertips and satisfy all their needs.

To find Carpier Smoked Salmon, just go to Conkilia !