Unadon

Method

1. 1 Simmer soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar for 10 minutes until thickened into a kabayaki sauce.
2. 2 Clean the eel fillets, pat them dry, and then skewer them flat.
3. 3 Steam the eel for 10 minutes to tenderize the meat and remove excess oil.
4. 4 Grill the eel skin-side down for 5 minutes, brush with sauce, then grill for another 6 minutes. Repeat this process three times.
5. 5 Scoop hot rice into a bowl, drizzle with some sauce, then place the eel on top.
6. 6 Sprinkle with pepper and serve while hot.

With an appliance

• Oven 42 min

  Replace step 4: place the skin-on eel on the top rack of the 230-degree oven for 9 minutes, rotating the tray halfway and brushing with kabayaki sauce twice; the caramel sauce will be more even, you won't need to flip it as often, but it won't have the smoky charcoal aroma.