Unaju (Japanese Grilled Eel on Rice)
Learn how to make delicious restaurant-style unaju at home! Made with tender pieces of grilled eel coated in a sweet, homemade unagi sauce and served over rice in a special box called "jubako", this luxurious dish is sure to impress!
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 tbsp turbinado sugar ((zarame) light brown with coarse texture)
- 1 tsp dark brown sugar
- 75 ml sake
- 75 ml mirin
- 75 ml Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
- 300 g filleted eels (1 fillet is approx 150g)
- 2 tbsp sake
- 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- Japanese sansho pepper (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Take a small sauce pan and add 3 tbsp turbinado sugar and 1 tsp dark brown sugar. Place it on the stove over a medium-low heat.
- 2
When the sugar begins to melt, add 5 tbsp sake and 5 tbsp mirin. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally to evenly distribute the heat.
- 3
Lower the heat to a simmer and add 5 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu). If you want to add extra depth to your sauce, add grilled bones and heads from the eels.
- 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.)
- 5
Wash 300 g filleted freshwater 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 move the eel back and forth rather than sawing with the knife.
- 6
Take a large frying pan and place the eel skin side down in a single layer. Add 2 tbsp sake and place it on the stove.
- 7
Place a lid on and steam for 3 minutes over a medium-low heat. While you wait, preheat the grill or broiler on medium-high.
- 8
Lay a piece of foil over a wire rack, and place it over a baking tray. Arrange the steamed eel on the wire rack so that the flesh side will be facing the heat source, and grill for 6 minutes.
- 9
Flip the eel over and grill the skin side for 5 minutes or until lightly charred.
- 10
Brush the prepared sauce generously over the skin and return it to the grill for 30 seconds.
- 11
Flip and apply the sauce to the meat side, then grill for 30 seconds. Repeat the brushing and grilling 3 times on each side, 6 times in total.
- 12
Divide 2 portions cooked Japanese short-grain rice into a jubako (or similar box) for each portion, and brush the top with leftover unagi sauce.
- 13
Arrange the unagi on top of the rice, drizzle with any leftover sauce and sprinkle with Japanese sansho pepper. Enjoy!