Unagi recipe: 59 Photos
Unagi Don Grilled Eel Rice Bowl Recipe photographs
FAQ
Unagi no Kabayaki. Kabayaki is a cooking style in which a fish is filleted, deboned, butterflied, skewered, grilled, and then brushed with a special tare, a sweet soy sauce. This is one of the most popular ways to eat unagi, as the fattiness of the eel when cooked gives it a deep, rich flavor and crisp texture.
How Unagi Is Prepared. The freshwater eel used in unagi don is prepared according to a technique known as kabayaki, in which the fish is gutted, deboned, butterflied, and cut into neat rectangular fillets. The cleaned eel fillets are then skewered and dipped into a sweet sauce before grilling.
So, What Ingredients Are In Eel Sauce? Eel sauce is a simple reduction of only four ingredients: sake, mirin, sugar, and soy sauce. Due to its sugar and salt content, the sauce keeps quite well, so don't be afraid to make too much (you can even freeze it).
If you enjoy other fatty fish such as tuna or mackerel, you will probably love unagi as well. In addition to a higher fat content, unagi also has an overall higher nutrient content than anago, including vitamins A, B1, B2, D, E, and omega-3 fatty acids.
Why is Japanese eel so expensive? Japanese eel – or unagi – is more expensive than gold. At up to $35,000 per kilogram, it's the priciest fish in Japan, and can take 6 to 12 months of work before eels are big enough to be sold. And cooking it is just as challenging, as the chefs who prepare it train for years.