moisture and become denser without being
cooked, which would denature connective-
tissue collagen and cause the fish to fall apart.
Finally, the fish is smoked for several hours in
one of two temperature ranges. In cold
smoking, the temperature remains below
90ºF/32ºC, and the fish retains its delicate raw
texture. In hot smoking, the fish is essentially
cooked in air at temperatures that gradually
rise and approach the boiling point; it reaches
an internal temperature of 150–170ºF/65–75ºC
fairly quickly, and has a cohesive yet dry,
flaky texture. Fish smoked cold and long can
keep for as long as a couple of months in the
refrigerator, while a light smoking, hot or
cold, will only keep the fish for a few days or
weeks.
Lightly Salted, Strong-Smelling Fish:
Surstrømming
Fish pastes and sauces are cured with
enough salt to limit the growth and activity