Japanese cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Unadon

Grilled eel in dark kabayaki glaze over a bowl of steaming rice, sprinkled with sansho pepper.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 2 eel fillets (about 300 g each)
• 300 g sushi rice
• 100 ml soy sauce
• 100 ml mirin
• 50 ml sake
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp sansho pepper (or Sichuan pepper)
• 1 sheet nori

Instructions

1. Rinse the sushi rice in cold water until it runs clear, soak for 20 min. and then cook covered with 400 ml water for 12 min. and let steam for 10 min.
2. Simmer soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar uncovered in a small pot for 8–10 min. until reduced by about half, until the kabayaki glaze clings syrupy to the ladle.
3. Pat the eel fillets dry, place skin-side down under the hot oven broiler and grill for 6–7 min. until the skin blisters.
4. Turn the fillets, brush the flesh side thickly with the glaze and continue grilling for 6–8 min., brushing three more times, until the surface is dark and glossy with a slight caramelization.
5. Fluff the warm rice loosely, divide among four deep bowls and drizzle 2 tbsp of the glaze over each.
6. Cut the eel into wide pieces, arrange on the rice, sprinkle with sansho pepper and finely cut nori strips and serve at once.