Unaju (Japanese Grilled Eel on Rice)

Method14 steps · about 55 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Take a small sauce pan and add 3 tbsp turbinado sugar and 1 tsp dark brown sugar. Place the pan on the stove over a medium-high heat.

   Uses 3 tbsp coarse light-brown turbinado sugar (zarame) · 1 tsp dark brown sugar

   
2. 2

   Step 2: When the sugar begins to melt, add 75 ml sake and 75 ml mirin. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to evenly distribute the heat.

   Boil sauce liquids · 2 minUses Melting turbinado and dark-brown sugars · 75 ml sake · 75 ml mirin

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Lower the heat to a simmer and add 75 ml Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu). If you want to add extra depth to your sauce, add grilled bones and heads from the eels.

   Uses Sugar-sake-mirin sauce base · 75 ml Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) · Already grilled eel heads and bones for sauce, optional

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Simmer for about 10 minutes or until thickened to a syrup-like consistency. Stir occasionally to prevent the sugar from burning. Remove from the heat and allow to cool while preparing the eel. (If you added the bones and heads, pour through a strainer and discard.)

   Simmer sauce · 10 minUses Complete sauce with optional grilled eel heads and bones

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Wash 300 g filleted eels under cold running water and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over a chopping board and place the eel on top. Cut into halves or thirds by gently pressing a sharp knife into the area you want to cut, and then moving the eel back and forth (rather than moving the knife).

   Uses 300 g raw eel fillets, bones and innards already removed · Cold water as needed to rinse the eel

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Take a large frying pan and place the eel skin side down. Add 2 tbsp sake and place it on the stove.

   Uses Cut and dried raw eel fillets · 2 tbsp sake

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Cover and steam over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, following the full article’s steaming phase. Meanwhile preheat the grill/broiler on medium-high for 5 minutes.

   Sake-steam the eel · 5 minUses Eel in its separate two-tablespoon sake

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Once 5 minutes are up, remove the pan from the heat and transfer the eel to a wire rack lined with aluminum foil. Place it with the skin side down first and grill for 6 minutes.

   Grill eel skin-down · 6 minUses Five-minute sake-steamed eel

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Turn the eel over and grill its skin side for about 5 minutes until lightly charred, checking frequently to avoid burning. Verify 145°F (63°C) in the thickest flesh, cooking longer if needed before adding sugary glaze.

   Grill skin side and check actual doneness · 5 minUses Eel grilled flesh side first

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Brush the sauce generously over the skin and grill for 30 seconds.

    First skin-side glaze · 1 minUses Cooked eel before glazing · Cooked strained unagi sauce

    
11. 11

    Step 11: Flip, brush the flesh side with prepared sauce and grill 30 seconds. Repeat the skin-side and flesh-side sequence twice more, giving three 30-second applications per side in total. Watch constantly and shorten if the glaze starts to burn.

    Each additional glaze application · 1 minUses Eel with first skin-side glaze · Remaining cooked strained sauce

    
12. 12

    Step 12: Divide the two portions of ready cooked rice between jubako boxes or similar serving containers. Brush with remaining prepared unagi sauce to taste.

    Uses 2 portions ready cooked Japanese short-grain rice · Remaining prepared unagi sauce

    
13. 13

    Step 13: Arrange the eel on top, drizzle with any leftover sauce and sprinkle with Japanese sansho pepper.

    Uses Two rice-filled serving boxes · Fully cooked glazed eel · Any remaining prepared sauce · Japanese sansho pepper (optional)

    
14. 14

    Step 14: Enjoy!

    Uses Two assembled unaju portions