Unagi No Kabayaki
Grilled eel glazed in a glossy sweet-savory sauce, with smoky edges and tender flesh.
Dietary
Pescatarian, Dairy free, Nut free
Allergens
Fish, Soy, Sesame
Unagi no kabayaki is a Japanese grilled eel dish basted repeatedly with a soy-mirin glaze until lacquered and deeply caramelized. Traditionally served over steamed rice, it balances rich, fatty eel with a sweet, umami-laden sauce. It's a staple of summer dining in Japan, prized for its restorative qualities.
Ingredients
- 2 whole eels, butterflied and deboned (about 1 lb each)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 cups steamed short-grain rice
- 1 teaspoon sansho pepper, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Method
-
If eels are not pre-butterflied, split each eel lengthwise along the belly, remove the backbone and innards, and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.
-
Skewer each eel fillet lengthwise with 2-3 thin metal or bamboo skewers to keep it flat during grilling.
-
In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and syrupy.
-
Set aside about 1/4 cup of the glaze in a separate bowl for final basting at the table; reserve the rest for grilling.
-
Preheat a grill or broiler to medium-high heat.
-
Grill the eel skin-side down first, without sauce, until the skin begins to crisp and release fat.
-
Flip the eel and brush the flesh side generously with the glaze. Continue grilling, brushing with more glaze every minute or two, until the eel is deeply lacquered and caramelized at the edges.
-
Remove skewers from the eel and slice each fillet crosswise into 2-inch pieces.
-
Divide the steamed rice among four bowls and arrange the glazed eel pieces on top.
-
Drizzle the reserved glaze over the eel and rice, then garnish with sansho pepper, sesame seeds, and sliced scallions. Serve immediately.
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Unagi No Kabayaki
Unagi no kabayaki is a Japanese grilled eel dish basted repeatedly with a soy-mirin glaze until lacquered and deeply caramelized. Traditionally served over steamed rice, it balances rich, fatty eel with a sweet, umami-laden sauce. It's a staple of summer dining in Japan, prized for its restorative qualities.
40 min 4 servings 520 cal
Ingredients
- 2 whole eels, butterflied and deboned (about 1 lb each)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup sake
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 4 cups steamed short-grain rice
- 1 teaspoon sansho pepper, for garnish
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Method
- 1
If eels are not pre-butterflied, split each eel lengthwise along the belly, remove the backbone and innards, and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.
- 2
Skewer each eel fillet lengthwise with 2-3 thin metal or bamboo skewers to keep it flat during grilling.
- 3
In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and syrupy.
- 4
Set aside about 1/4 cup of the glaze in a separate bowl for final basting at the table; reserve the rest for grilling.
- 5
Preheat a grill or broiler to medium-high heat.
- 6
Grill the eel skin-side down first, without sauce, until the skin begins to crisp and release fat.
- 7
Flip the eel and brush the flesh side generously with the glaze. Continue grilling, brushing with more glaze every minute or two, until the eel is deeply lacquered and caramelized at the edges.
- 8
Remove skewers from the eel and slice each fillet crosswise into 2-inch pieces.
- 9
Divide the steamed rice among four bowls and arrange the glazed eel pieces on top.
- 10
Drizzle the reserved glaze over the eel and rice, then garnish with sansho pepper, sesame seeds, and sliced scallions. Serve immediately.
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