【Reading】すきびき

【English Name】Sukibiki / Descaling fish

One of the methods of preparing fish, in which the scales are removed with a knife rather than with a scaler (urokokane). The knife is angled and inserted from the base of the tail, and while pushing and pulling, the outer skin with the scales is thinly shaved off toward the head. For ordinary fish only the scales are removed, but this method is used for fish such as hirame (olive flounder) and buri (yellowtail), which have thin, fine scales, and amadai (tilefish), which has soft flesh and hard scales.