How to Cook Eel with Homemade Unagi Sauce (Japanese Unagi Don/Unaju Recipe)

unagi

🥗Healthier: grilled chicken

💰Cheaper: grilled mackerel

Grilled chicken offers a leaner option, while mackerel is more affordable.

mirin

🥗Healthier: rice vinegar + sugar

💰Cheaper: white wine + sugar

Rice vinegar is lower in calories, while white wine is often more accessible.

Add 3 tablespoons of coarse light brown turbinado sugar and 1 teaspoon of dark brown sugar to a pan and heat on medium-high, mixing until it starts to melt.

Add 75ml of sake and 75ml of mirin to the pan, stirring to dissolve the sugar and prevent burning. Let it boil for 1-2 minutes to burn off some alcohol.

Add 75ml of dark soy sauce and reduce heat to a simmer, letting it bubble for about 10 minutes until thick and glossy.

Prepare the eel by placing it skin side down on a cutting board covered with plastic wrap, cutting it into 3 or 4 pieces.

Steam the eel in a large pan with 1 tablespoon of sake for each eel, covered, for 3 minutes on medium low heat.

Preheat the grill or broiler to medium-high.

Transfer the eel to the grill skin side down and grill for 6 minutes, then flip and grill the skin side for 5 minutes.

Brush the grilled eel with the kabayaki sauce and place it back under the grill for 30 seconds, flipping and repeating three times on each side.

Serve the rice in a jubako, brush with leftover sauce, and arrange the unagi on top, sprinkling with sansho pepper.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens