You can find packaged Unagi Kabayaki at Uwajimaya and (I think) 99 Ranch. Each package contains a split, boned, and barbequed Unagi (fresh water eel) flattened into 2 fillets. A little pricey, but worth it as a treat. The Japanese eat the whole thing, but we find the skin to be rubbery and so remove it before serving. We serve it over rice (Japanese short grain, sticky). The Unagi is pretty rich so a serving is ½ of a fillet layed out over a mound of rice, drizzled with sauce and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. I often serve Japanese soup as a first course. Sides can be green beans, asparagus, ...
From various recipes, adjusted to our taste.
| ½ C | Sake |
| ½ C | Soy sauce |
| ½ C | Mirin |
| 1 T | Granulated Sugar |
| 1-2 cloves | Garlic, crushed |
| 2 slices | Ginger, crushed |
Preparing the unagi to serve.
| 1 recipe | Unagi sauce (see above) |
| ½ T | Sesame seeds, toasted |
| 1 package | Unagi kabayaki, thawed, about 9 oz. |
Prepare the unagi sauce and toast the sesame seeds. This is also a good time to prepare rice, if serving the unagi with/over rice.
This uses a broiling pan at least as long as the unagi. Cut off a sheet of aluminum foil a little longer than the unagi and place on the broiling pan grate. Turn the broiler on and adjust the shelf to place the unagi about 6" to 8" away from the heat.
After cutting the unagi lengthwise into 2 pieces (fillets), place them on the foil, skin side down, long-ways - left to right. Using a kitchen basting brush, put a light coating of sauce on the unagi and place the pan under the broiler. Keep the oven door open enough so you can see the unagi. Watch it continuously through the cooking process - a burned unagi is a sad thing. As soon as the surface begins to bubble, pull it out and re-coat with sauce. Repeat until the top is very dark brown and the unagi is heated/cooked through (maybe 4-5 coatings, 5-10 min).
Remove the pan from the oven and slide the foil onto a cutting board. Using one or more wide spatulas, turn the unagi pieces over (to skin side up). Starting at an end, slide a knife under the skin and remove (carefully, the unagi is delicate). The skin should just peel up, possibly still slightly attached at one of the edges. Cut into desired number of pieces (e.g., slicing the fillets in half the long way to make 4 pieces) and distribute to plates (usually on top of rice). Put a drizzle of sauce over the unagi/rice and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
Serve immediately.