Unadon (Grilled Eel Rice Bowl) is a well-liked Japanese delicacy which you could simply make at house for lunch or dinner. This scrumptious unagi bowl options completely grilled eel fillets glazed with my home made unagi sauce and nestled on a mattress of scorching steamed rice. The tantalizing aroma of the candy caramelized glaze is sufficient to make your mouth water!
Unagi sushi is a mainstay merchandise at most sushi eating places, however have you ever tried unagi rice bowl earlier than? This basic Japanese dish is known as Unadon (鰻丼) or Unaju (鰻重), otherwise you may need identified it as eel rice.
The Japanese have a particular affection for Unadon as a result of the satisfaction of consuming completely grilled unagi over a mattress of heat rice is incomparable. Oh, and the aroma of the candy caramelized sauce…that alone is sufficient to make my mouth water.
What’s Unadon (Unaju)?
Unadon, or Grilled Eel Rice Bowl, is a beloved Japanese dish consisting of steamed rice topped with grilled eels glazed with a sweetened soy-based sauce (known as tare) and caramelized, ideally over a charcoal hearth.
When grilled unagi is served in an enormous rice bowl known as donburi, we name it Unadon (鰻丼), a brief for unagi donburi. When the unagi is served in a elaborate rectangle lacquered field with the lid on, we name it Unaju (鰻重) as a result of these containers are known as jubako (重箱).
How Eels Are Cooked
This cooking technique is called Kabayaki (蒲焼), just like Teriyaki. It’s a quite common option to put together eels and different fish in Japan.
That is how the unagi-specialized cooks put together the eels. Dwell eels are break up down the again (or stomach), gutted and boned, butterflied, and lower into sq. fillets. Then, the fillets are skewered, dipped in a candy soy-based sauce, and broiled on a charcoal grill.
Within the Tokyo area, the skewered eel is first broiled with out the sauce, and we name it Shirayaki (白焼き). Then the unagi is steamed earlier than being dipped within the sauce and grilled once more.
Eating at Unagi Restaurant in Japan
While you go to unagi specialised eating places in Japan, the menu sometimes gives each Unadon and Unaju, and there are 3 ranks for the worth whether or not you order Unadon or Unaju.
- The premium grade is known as Tokujo (特上) or Matsu (松, pine)
- The superior grade is known as Jo (上) or Take (竹, bamboo)
- The common grade is known as Nami (並) or Ume (梅, plum)
In line with the unagi eating places, the worth is normally associated to the burden (quantity) of unagi and never essentially the standard.
Custom: Eat Unagi on Mid-Summer season Day
Unagi (freshwater eel) is taken into account an costly delicacy in Japan, and it’s not an on a regular basis dish. I did some fast analysis and located that 26.2% of individuals eat unagi “about as soon as each 6 months,” adopted by “as soon as each 2 to three months” at 16.8%, “lower than annually” at 16.1%, and “annually” at 15.8%.
So when do most individuals eat unagi? You will note massive banners and carts of eel packages within the supermarkets proper earlier than the mid-summer day.
From the Edo Interval (1600-1850), we’ve got a practice of consuming unagi on a selected mid-summer day known as doyō-no ushi-no-hi (土用の丑の日) to realize stamina to beat the warmth.
- In 2024, it falls on July twenty fourth and August fifth.
- In 2025, it falls on July nineteenth and July thirty first.
Wealthy in nutritional vitamins A and E and Omega-3 fatty acids, the good nutritious advantages of eel are one more reason why Japanese individuals get pleasure from consuming unagi.
Components You’ll Want
- Unagi (Eel) fillets
- Unagi sauce – you may get a bottle of eel sauce nevertheless it’s SO straightforward to make it at house (I’ll present you!)
- Steamed rice
Japanese house cooks don’t purchase a reside eel to cook dinner at house. They purchase pre-grilled eel fillets and simply reheat them earlier than serving. Right here within the US, you should buy grilled eels which were vacuum-sealed in Japanese/Asian grocery shops or this on-line store.
My native Japanese supermarkets promote imported unagi from Japan (all from Kagoshima prefecture) they usually normally value between $30-40 every (in comparison with the frozen eels from different nations, which value round $10 every). If you’ll be able to discover Japanese unagi in your native market, you might be in for a actual deal with!
Tips on how to Make Grilled Eel Rice Bowl at Dwelling
- Put together the home made eel sauce (see beneath).
- Broil eel fillets and brush the eel sauce proper earlier than taking them out.
- Serve rice in a big rice bowl (donburi), brush with sauce, and serve eel fillets on prime.
How To Make Do-it-yourself Eel Sauce (Unagi no Tare)
At the moment I’ll share find out how to put together Unadon with my home made eel sauce (unagi sauce). You should purchase a bottle of unagi sauce at a Japanese/Asian market, however you’ll be able to simply make it at house. All you want is soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar!
With simply 4 substances, you’ll be able to rapidly whip up a candy caramelized sauce to taste the grilled eel. If I’ve any leftover unagi sauce, I’ll additionally use it to brush on my grilled rice balls to make Yaki Onigiri.
What to Serve With Unadon
You may serve it with miso soup, Japanese pickles, and small sides resembling Spinach with Sesame Sauce or Kinpira Rekon.
Scrumptious unadon requires minimal effort to arrange, and it’s really value it to arrange this dish at house!
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For the Unagi Sauce (double or triple the quantity for additional sauce)
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Collect all of the substances. Because the unagi sauce can hold for 3 months, I like to recommend making double or triple the quantity for future unagi recipes or Yaki Onigiri.
To Make the Unagi Sauce
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To a small saucepan, add ¼ cup mirin, 1½ Tbsp sake, and 2½ Tbsp sugar.
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Set the saucepan on the range over medium warmth and whisk the combination collectively. Then, add ¼ cup soy sauce and produce the combination to a boil.
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As soon as boiling, scale back the warmth to take care of a mild simmer; it is best to see small bubbles across the fringe of the pan. Proceed simmering till the liquid is decreased to roughly one-third of the unique quantity, about 10-Quarter-hour. Tip: To test how a lot the sauce has decreased, dip the tip of a wood chopstick into the liquid to mark the unique quantity; then, insert the chopstick once more later to check the sauce stage towards the unique mark.
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Towards the top of cooking, the sauce will thicken and you will note extra bubbles. Use the chopstick to substantiate that the thickened sauce is one-third of the unique quantity. Then, take away it from the warmth. Because it cools, the sauce will thicken extra. Tip: If you happen to really feel you’ve got decreased it an excessive amount of, add a little bit of water to loosen up the sauce; you can also simmer it once more a bit extra to get the correct consistency.
To Broil (really useful)
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Preheat the broiler* on Excessive (550ºF/288ºC) for five minutes with a rack positioned about 8 inches (20 cm) away from the highest heating factor (within the heart of the oven). *The broiler settings are Low (450ºF/232ºC), Medium (500ºF/260ºC), and Excessive (550ºF/288ºC). I normally broil on Excessive (8 inches away) or Medium (6 inches away). When broiling, you do not management the temperature within the oven; as an alternative, you management the space between the broiler and the floor of the meals. It is just like utilizing hotter and cooler zones in your grill.
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Line a baking sheet with foil for simple cleansing and brush or spray the oil onto the foil. Place the unagi items on the foil, pores and skin aspect down. Broil the unagi till the floor is blistered a bit, about 5-7 minutes. Broil it on one aspect solely; there is no have to flip it over.
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Open the oven and brush the sauce on prime of the unagi. Then, broil once more for 30-60 seconds till you see the sauce effervescent on prime.
To Bake
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Preheat the oven to 425°F/218ºC with a rack positioned within the center place. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and place the unagi items on prime. Bake till the floor is blistered a bit, about 10-12 minutes. Bake on one aspect solely; no have to flip. Brush the sauce on prime of the unagi. Then, bake once more for 30-60 seconds till you see the sauce effervescent on prime.
To Warmth in a Pan
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Put together two 16 inch x 16 inch (40 x 40 cm) sheets of aluminum foil. Thinly unfold some cooking spray within the heart of every sheet. Place two items of unagi on a sheet of greased foil. Convey the highest and backside foil edges collectively above the unagi. Fold and press the perimeters collectively a number of instances. Then, tightly shut both aspect of the foil to type a sack. Repeat this course of for the opposite unagi items. Add the foil pouches to the pan and reheat on low warmth for 5-8 minutes. Tip: Your unagi will not blister or char should you use this technique.
To Serve
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Serve the new steamed rice in particular person bowls. Then, pour or brush among the unagi sauce on prime of the rice.
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Subsequent, place one portion of the unagi on the rice in every bowl. Pour or brush extra sauce on prime of the unagi. Since I had a kinome (Japanese sansho pepper leaf), I positioned it on prime for garnish (non-compulsory). Serve instantly. You may as well sprinkle floor Japanese sansho pepper on prime (non-compulsory).
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To serve in a jubako (Japanese lacquered field), place a mattress of scorching rice within the field and brush some unagi sauce on prime. For every serving, place 2 items of unagi (the complete fillet) on prime, with the items overlapping one another and masking the rice. Brush extra sauce on prime of the unagi items and serve.
To Retailer
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You may hold the leftovers unagi in an hermetic container and retailer it within the fridge for 3 days or within the freezer for two weeks. You may retailer any leftover sauce in an hermetic jar and hold within the fridge for as much as 3 months. You should use it to brush on grilled rice balls to make my favourite Yaki Onigiri.
Energy: 116 kcal · Carbohydrates: 6 g · Protein: 8 g · Fats: 5 g · Saturated Fats: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fats: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fats: 3 g · Ldl cholesterol: 50 mg · Sodium: 500 mg · Potassium: 109 mg · Sugar: 6 g · Vitamin A: 1380 IU · Vitamin C: 1 mg · Calcium: 8 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Replace: The publish was initially revealed on Might 31, 2012. It was up to date with a revised recipe in July 2012. It was up to date with new photos and extra useful content material on July 21, 2021, and republished on July 24, 2024.
