Unagi Kabayaki (Grilled Eel)
Premium freshwater eel grilled and basted in a sweet soy glaze (tare). Served over rice as Unadon or Unaju in lacquered boxes at top restaurants. Rich, decadent, and deeply flavorful.
6 ingredients
7 steps
Ingredients
- 12 fillets fresh unagi (freshwater eel), butterflied and cleaned
- 2Kabayaki tare: 4 tbsp soy sauce, 4 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp sugar
- 3Steamed Japanese short-grain rice
- 4Sansho pepper for finishing
- 5Nori (optional, for garnish)
- 6Toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- 1Prepare kabayaki tare: combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan; simmer until slightly thickened to a glossy glaze. Set aside.
- 2Thread unagi fillets onto skewers to keep flat during grilling.
- 3Grill eel over medium-high charcoal or gas heat, skin side down first, for 3-4 minutes.
- 4Flip and grill flesh side for 2 minutes.
- 5Brush generously with kabayaki tare, flip, and repeat 3-4 times, building up a rich lacquered glaze.
- 6Pack a lacquered box or bowl with steamed rice; lay glazed eel fillets on top.
- 7Drizzle with a little extra tare, dust with sansho pepper, and serve immediately.