Unagi Don
Glazed eel served over steamed rice with a sweet-savory caramel sauce. A restaurant-quality Japanese classic that cooks in under 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 480
- Protein
- 28g
Ingredients
- 300 g unagi (freshwater eel), pre-cooked and vacuum-sealed
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 300 g cooked white sushi rice or short-grain rice
- 1 piece scallion, green parts only
Instructions
- 1
Remove the unagi from its vacuum package and pat it dry with paper towels, using gentle downward presses on both sides until no moisture beads remain on the surface.
- 2
Lay the unagi on the cutting board and slice it lengthwise (from head to tail) into 1-inch-wide strips using a sharp knife, cutting straight down through the spine and flesh.
- 3
Slice the scallion lengthwise from root to tip into thin green ribbons, then set aside on a small plate.
- 4
Pour 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons mirin, and 1 tablespoon sugar into a small bowl and stir with a spoon until the sugar dissolves and the sauce is uniform and glossy.
- 5
Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 90 seconds until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates immediately upon contact.
- 6
Arrange the unagi strips skin-side down in the hot skillet in a single layer with space between each piece, and let them sit without moving for 3 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crispy.
- 7
Flip each unagi strip carefully with a spatula and cook for 1 minute on the flesh side until it firms up and lightens slightly in color.
- 8
Pour the prepared sauce over all the unagi pieces and tilt the skillet gently so the sauce coats them evenly, then cook for 2 minutes without stirring until the sauce thickens and clings to the eel.
- 9
Divide the cooked rice evenly between two bowls, mounding it in the center of each bowl and packing it gently so it holds its shape.
- 10
Arrange the glazed unagi strips on top of the rice in each bowl, laying them so the caramelized skin faces upward.
- 11
Drizzle any remaining sauce from the skillet over the eel using a spoon, letting it pool into the rice.
- 12
Scatter the sliced scallion ribbons in a small mound on top of each bowl, distributing the green evenly across the surface.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- sharp knife
- small bowl
- spoon
- 10-inch nonstick skillet or cast iron skillet
- spatula
- two serving bowls
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