days, long enough to pick up a little salt (a
few percent, not enough to inhibit microbial
spoilage). This also draws to the surface some
of the proteins in the muscle fiber, notably
myosin. When the fish is hung and allowed to
drip dry, the sticky layer of dissolved myosin
on the surface forms a shiny gel or pellicle
that will give the smoked fish an attractive
golden sheen. (The gold color is created by
browning reactions between aldehydes in the
smoke and amino acids in the pellicle, as well
as condensation of dark resins from the smoke
vapor.)
Cold and Hot Smoking The initial smoking
(often using sawdust, which can produce more
smoke at a lower temperature than intact
wood) takes place at a relatively cool
temperature around 85ºF/30ºC, which avoids
hardening the surface and forming a barrier to
moisture movement from the interior. This
also allows the fish flesh to lose some