Eel Rice Bowl (Japanese Unagi Don)

The sweet sauce, dressed on top of the fish, is addictively good, just like teriyaki sauce. I don't want to miss a bit of it literally. The rice absorbs some of the sauce, making the whole dish so flavoursome. To make this dish, it's very simple and quick. The whole cooking process only takes about 10 minutes or so.

1 fillet whole Unagi (eel)
2-3 bowls steamed rice

Sauce:
2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
2 Tbsp. mirin
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp Japanese cooking wine or sake
2 tsp pure honey
1 tsp potato starch
3 tsp water

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°F).

Use a small pot, combine all sauce ingredients, except the potato starch and water, and cook over medium heat, until the alcohol smell is evaporated away. Combine the potato starch with water, then stir in the sauce. Cook until it's slightly thickened. Remove from the heat. Set aside.

Place the eel on a lined baking tray. Evenly drizzle about 2 Tbsp. of sauce on top. Place the baking tray on the upper rack in the preheated oven. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Don't let it get burnt anyway. When the eel is heated through, it's done.

To serve, cut into smaller pieces and place on top of rice. Add roasted seaweed for garnish if desired.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Cook's Notes

• The Eel (unagi) is already cooked and comes in vacuum-sealed package, kept in fridge or freezer at Japanese or Asian markets. All you need is to heat it through and let the unagi absorb more flavours while grilling.
• As the sauce contains sugar, it's easily burnt. Pay close attention while grilling.
• The remaining sauce can be used to cook chicken or other fish, like cod. It's very delicious too.
• Mirin is a Japanese condiment with a very light sweet taste and low alcohol content, available at supermarkets or Asian grocers. It helps develop a glossy look for the sauce. The alcohol will boil away after heating.