【Reading】しもふり

【English Name】Shimofuri (blanching)

Shimofuri is one of the indispensable preparations when a sushi chef prepares white-flesh fish and shellfish, referring to a method of applying heat only to the outside of the ingredient while leaving the inside raw. Boiling water is poured over the surface of poultry or seafood, or the item is dipped in hot water for only a very short time, after which the temperature is dropped at once in cold water. Doing so makes only the surface turn cloudy white, taking on an appearance reminiscent of the frost (shimo) that covers the ground on a winter morning, which is said to be the origin of the name.

Going through this step removes the sliminess and fishy odor adhering to the ingredient, and at the same time, because heat does not reach the center, it can be done without impairing a texture and sense of freshness close to sashimi. It is a method frequently used in preparing white-flesh fish such as tai (sea bream), kawahagi (filefish), and fugu (pufferfish), and the difference in mastery appears in the chef's fine judgment of the water-temperature range and the number of seconds to immerse, according to fish species, fat content, and freshness.

Note that "shimofuri" is also widely used as a word describing the flesh quality of beef in which fat is woven net-like into the lean meat, but in the context of sushi restaurants it exclusively means this hot-water-blanching type of preparation.