【Reading】かわぽんず

【English Name】Fish Skin with Ponzu Sauce

A dish for enjoying the umami-rich skin of fish with ponzu soy sauce—that is kawa-ponzu (skin ponzu). It is positioned as an indispensable item at sake gatherings in sushi bars and kappo restaurants, and many customers order it across the counter.

The representative ingredient is the skin of tiger pufferfish (torafugu); the orthodox way to enjoy it is to blanch it (yubiki) and then combine it with ponzu soy sauce and momiji-oroshi (grated daikon with chili). The skin of white-fleshed fish such as sea bream, flounder, and yellowtail is also favored, each offering a different fattiness and texture.

There are two methods of preparation. "Yushimo," in which boiling water is poured over a skin-on block and it is immediately tightened in cold water, and "yakishimo," in which only the skin surface is seared over a direct flame and then rapidly chilled. The aim common to both is to transform the gelatinous matter into a moderately soft state while preventing excess heating of the flesh side.

The ponzu soy sauce used as the sauce is a seasoning made by preparing the pressed juice of citrus fruits such as yuzu, sudachi, daidai, and kabosu with soy sauce, dashi, and vinegar; its refreshing acidity highlights the springy mouthfeel of the collagen-rich skin. Standard condiments are chopped scallion and momiji-oroshi.