Unadon (Grilled Eel Rice Bowl) is a well-liked Japanese delicacy which you could simply make at dwelling 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 sizzling 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 traditional 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 (referred to as tare) and caramelized, ideally over a charcoal hearth.
When grilled unagi is served in a giant rice bowl referred to as donburi, we name it Unadon (鰻丼), a brief for unagi donburi. When the unagi is served in a flowery rectangle lacquered field with the lid on, we name it Unaju (鰻重) as a result of these bins are referred to as jubako (重箱).
How Eels Are Cooked
This cooking technique is named Kabayaki (蒲焼), much like Teriyaki. It’s a quite common solution to put together eels and different fish in Japan.
That is how the unagi-specialized cooks put together the eels. Reside eels are cut up down the again (or stomach), gutted and boned, butterflied, and minimize 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 affords 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 often associated to the burden (quantity) of unagi and never essentially the standard.
Custom: Eat Unagi on Mid-Summer time 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 every year” at 16.1%, and “every year” at 15.8%.
So when do most individuals eat unagi? You will note huge banners and carts of eel packages within the supermarkets proper earlier than the mid-summer day.
From the Edo Interval (1600-1850), we have now a practice of consuming unagi on a selected mid-summer day referred to as doyō-no ushi-no-hi (土用の丑の日) to achieve 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 another excuse 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 dwelling (I’ll present you!)
- Steamed rice
Japanese dwelling cooks don’t purchase a reside eel to prepare dinner at dwelling. They purchase pre-grilled eel fillets and simply reheat them earlier than serving. Right here within the US, you should purchase grilled eels which have been vacuum-sealed in Japanese/Asian grocery shops or this online shop.
My native Japanese supermarkets promote imported unagi from Japan (all from Kagoshima prefecture) they usually often price between $30-40 every (in comparison with the frozen eels from different international locations, which price round $10 every). If you’ll be able to discover Japanese unagi in your native market, you’re in for a actual deal with!
Methods 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 high.
How To Make Selfmade Eel Sauce (Unagi no Tare)
Right this moment I’ll share how one can put together Unadon with my homemade eel sauce (unagi sauce). You should buy a bottle of unagi sauce at a Japanese/Asian market, however you may simply make it at dwelling. All you want is soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar!
With simply 4 substances, you may shortly 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 possibly can serve it with miso soup, Japanese pickles, and small sides equivalent to Spinach with Sesame Sauce or Kinpira Rekon.
Scrumptious unadon requires minimal effort to organize, and it’s really price it to organize this dish at dwelling!
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Unadon (Unagi Don)
Unadon (Grilled Eel Rice Bowl) is a well-liked Japanese delicacy which you could simply make at dwelling 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 sizzling steamed rice. The tantalizing aroma of the candy caramelized glaze is sufficient to make your mouth water!
Components
For the Unagi Sauce (double or triple the quantity for additional sauce)
Forestall your display from going darkish
Directions
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Collect all of the substances. Because the unagi sauce can maintain 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, cut back the warmth to keep up a mild simmer; it is best to see small bubbles across the fringe of the pan. Proceed simmering till the liquid is lowered to roughly one-third of the unique quantity, about 10-Quarter-hour. Tip: To examine how a lot the sauce has lowered, dip the tip of a picket chopstick into the liquid to mark the unique quantity; then, insert the chopstick once more later to match the sauce degree in opposition to 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: For those who really feel you have lowered 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 best 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 ingredient (within the heart of the oven). *The broiler settings are Low (450ºF/232ºC), Medium (500ºF/260ºC), and Excessive (550ºF/288ºC). I often 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 much 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 not any have to flip it over.
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Open the oven and brush the sauce on high of the unagi. Then, broil once more for 30-60 seconds till you see the sauce effervescent on high.
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 high. 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 high of the unagi. Then, bake once more for 30-60 seconds till you see the sauce effervescent on high.
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. Deliver 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 kind 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 for those who use this technique.
To Retailer
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You possibly can maintain the leftovers unagi in an hermetic container and retailer it within the fridge for 3 days or within the freezer for two weeks. You possibly can retailer any leftover sauce in an hermetic jar and maintain within the fridge for as much as 3 months. You should utilize it to brush on grilled rice balls to make my favourite Yaki Onigiri.
Vitamin
Vitamin Info
Unadon (Unagi Don)
Quantity per Serving
% Every day Worth*
* % Every day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie eating regimen.
Replace: The put up 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.
