Japanese cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Anago no Shiroyaki

Conger eel without sauce, just salted and grilled over high heat, served with wasabi, salt and lemon.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 2 conger eel fillets (about 300 g each)
• 3 tbsp sake
• 1 tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp wasabi
• 1 lemon
• 10 cm daikon radish
• 1 bunch spring onions
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Instructions

1. Rinse the eel fillets under cold water, run the back of a knife over the skin side to remove any slime, pat thoroughly dry and drizzle with the sake; let sit for 10 min.
2. Finely grate the daikon and press out lightly, cut the spring onions into fine rings and cut the lemon into wedges.
3. Pat the fillets dry once more, sprinkle the flesh side evenly with the coarse sea salt and let sit for 5 min. to dry slightly.
4. Preheat a grill or grill pan until very hot and grill the fillets skin-side down for 4–5 min. until the skin blisters and releases easily from the grate.
5. Turn and grill the flesh side for only 2–3 min. more until it is pale and glossy and the eel separates easily with chopsticks – it should be crisp outside, juicy inside.
6. Cut the fillets on the diagonal into wide pieces, arrange with grated daikon, spring onions, a dab of wasabi and lemon wedges, and serve the soy sauce on the side.