World Flavors Cookbook

Unagi no Kabayaki (Grilled Eel)

Freshwater eel filleted, steamed until tender, then lacquered with a sweet soy-based tare and grilled over charcoal until caramelized — Japan's most luxurious comfort food, traditionally eaten on the hottest day of summer.

Cuisine: Japan

Ingredients

• 4 unagi fillets (butterflied freshwater eel)
• Kabayaki tare: 100ml soy sauce, 100ml mirin, 50ml sake, 3 tbsp sugar
• Steamed Japanese rice
• Sansho pepper
• Bamboo skewers

Instructions

1. Make tare: simmer soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar until thickened and glossy.
2. Steam eel fillets for 10 minutes to render fat and tenderize.
3. Skewer the fillets and grill over charcoal, basting with tare repeatedly.
4. Grill 3–4 minutes per side, building up layers of caramelized glaze.
5. Serve over hot steamed rice (unajū) with a sprinkle of sansho pepper.