Back to smoking pike ;-) I just did a batch last Tuesday. Brined frozen fillets overnite, and it was a bit long - fish came out a bit salty. I have patted fish dry, blown them dry, but have never gotten northern to form a pellicle, and have given up. Skin on, skin off, not much difference, but it is easier to fillet the skin off than to remove it afterward. I cold smoke, and am using apple these days. I spray my racks with pam or equivalent so meat sticks less. 2 hrs of smoke is enough. 3 is a bit smokier, but not enough to bother with. To solve the cooking and preservation problem, I cut pieces and put them into pint canning jars. Can them at 11 psi for 90 minutes. The fork bones go away - which yields more meat from the over abundant hammer handles. The only problem i have with these is when a jar falls open the contents seem to evaporate regardless of the temperature, humidity or number of people around. Give it a try - it will turn a waste fish into gold!
