That last shot shows them already cut and into the brine. Here's a shot of them being cut.
As you can see, they're a little ragged. The ones at the store are all uniform size and straight. Mine are not that purty, but they are all done, including the tails
The next day, I took them out of the brine, patted them dry, and put them on a rack to dry.
The surface was supposed to develop what's called a
pellicle. A tacky, shiny, firm surface, indicating that the flesh has been sealed, the moisture's sealed inside and the smoke can lend flavor without drying out the fish. Here's a close up of my
pellicle.
