Eel Don

Name: Eel Don
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Japanese Menu
Ingredients: Soy Sauce — 60 ml; Mirin — 60 ml; Sake — 22 ml; Sugar — 35 g; Unagi Fillets — 160 g; Japanese Rice — To taste; Japanese Sansho Pepper — To taste

This classic unadon features tender, succulent eel fillets glazed in a rich, sweet and savoury sauce, served over a steaming bed of fluffy white rice. Finished with a final brush of the caramelised sauce and a dusting of fragrant sansho pepper, this luxurious, comforting Japanese rice bowl perfectly balances deep, complex umami flavours with the delicate sweetness of the eel, creating an effortless yet truly sophisticated dining experience.

Cuisines

Cooking Instructions

Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes

Servings: 2

Notes:

To achieve the perfect thick glaze, simmer the mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar until it reduces to roughly one-third of its original volume, ensuring it reaches a syrupy consistency.

The sauce will continue to thicken significantly as it cools, so aim to remove it from the heat just as it becomes glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Preheating your oven broiler is essential for creating that charred, restaurant-quality finish on the eel; place the fillets roughly 20 cm away from the heat source for the best results.

For an authentic touch, always serve with Japanese sansho pepper, which provides a unique, citrusy, and slightly numbing heat that perfectly cuts through the richness of the unagi.

This recipe is simple to prepare for a quick meal; however, ensure you lightly grease the foil on your baking tray before adding the eel to prevent the delicate fillets from sticking to the surface.

Prepare Sauce
Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until it reduces to one-third of the original volume.

Prepare Eel
Preheat the oven broiler to high and lightly grease a foil-lined baking tray before arranging the eel fillets on the tray.

Broil
Place the eel under the broiler for 5 to 7 minutes until the edges are slightly charred and the texture is heated through.

Glaze
Brush the eel fillets generously with the prepared sauce and return to the broiler for an additional 30 to 60 seconds to caramelise the glaze.

Assemble
Serve the glazed eel fillets over a bowl of warm, freshly steamed white rice, brushing any remaining sauce over the top, and finish with a sprinkle of sansho pepper before serving.