Unadon With Tare-Glazed Eel and Sanshō Over Rice

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Restaurant-quality unadon at home with simple, easy-to-find ingredients.
• Balanced flavors: glossy sweet-savory tare, peppery-citrusy sanshō, and a cooling cucumber pickle.
• Works perfectly with convenient store-bought unagi kabayaki.
• Make-ahead friendly: the tare and pickles hold well, so dinner comes together fast.

Grocery List

• Produce: Persian/mini English cucumber, optional scallions, optional nori strips
• Dairy: None
• Pantry: Japanese short-grain rice, soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, ground sanshō pepper, pre-grilled unagi kabayaki (frozen or refrigerated), optional kombu, neutral oil (for stovetop method)

Full Ingredients

Rice

• 2 cups (360 g) Japanese short-grain rice
• 2¼ cups (540 ml) water

Tare (Eel Glaze)

• 1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) mirin
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) sake
• 3 tbsp (36 g) sugar
• Optional: 1 small piece kombu (about 2 inches / 5 cm)

Broiled Eel

• 14–16 oz (400–450 g) pre-grilled unagi kabayaki (2 fillets), thawed if frozen
• Neutral oil, a few drops (for the tray or pan)

Quick Cucumber Pickle

• 1 Persian or mini English cucumber (about 200 g), thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp (3 g) kosher salt
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar
• 1 tsp (4 g) sugar
• 1 tsp (5 ml) soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp (2 ml) toasted sesame oil (optional)
• 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

To Finish

• 1/2 tsp ground sanshō pepper (to taste)
• Optional: thinly sliced scallions and nori strips

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Rinse, soak, and cook the rice

Place the rice in a bowl, cover with cold water, and swish gently; drain and repeat until the water is mostly clear (about 4–5 rinses). Cover the rinsed rice with fresh water and soak for 20 minutes; drain well. Cook with 2¼ cups (540 ml) water in a rice cooker per manufacturer’s directions. For stovetop: bring to a boil, reduce to the lowest heat, cover, and cook 12 minutes; turn off heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff and keep warm.

Step 2: Make the tare (glaze)

Combine soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small saucepan (add kombu if using). Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook 12–15 minutes until glossy and reduced to about 2/3 cup (160 ml). Remove kombu. The sauce should lightly coat the back of a spoon. Keep warm over the lowest heat or rewarm before glazing.

Step 3: Mix the quick cucumber pickle

Toss cucumber slices with salt and let stand 10 minutes to draw out moisture. Gently squeeze and drain. In a small bowl, whisk rice vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce (and sesame oil if using). Add cucumbers and sesame seeds; toss and refrigerate until serving.

Step 4: Prepare the eel for broiling

Adjust an oven rack 6 inches (15 cm) from the broiler element and preheat the broiler on High (500–550°F / 260–288°C). Line a small baking sheet with foil and lightly oil it. Pat the unagi dry. If fillets are large, cut to bowl width for easy serving.

Step 5: Broil and glaze the eel

Place eel skin-side up on the tray. Brush lightly with tare. Broil 2 minutes, then brush again. Continue broiling 2–4 minutes until the glaze bubbles and edges char slightly. Brush once more and broil 30–60 seconds for a lacquered finish. The goal is hot, tender eel with a shiny, slightly sticky glaze, not a burnt surface. Alternative stovetop method: warm a nonstick pan with a few drops of oil over medium heat; place eel skin-side down 2–3 minutes, flip, add 3–4 tbsp tare, and simmer 60–90 seconds, spooning sauce over to glaze.

Step 6: Season the rice

Drizzle 1–2 tbsp of tare over the hot rice and gently fold to distribute. This lightly seasons the rice and ties the bowl together.

Step 7: Assemble and finish

Divide rice among 4 bowls. Lay the glazed eel on top, spooning over a little extra tare. Dust lightly with ground sanshō pepper to taste. Serve immediately with the cucumber pickle on the side and optional scallions or nori.

Pro Tips

• Reduce tare until it leaves a clean trail on the back of a spoon; too thin and it won’t cling, too thick and it can burn under the broiler.
• Keep the eel 6 inches from the broiler for even caramelization; move it farther away if sugars darken too fast.
• Use good rice: Japanese short-grain makes the bowl plush and slightly sticky, perfect for catching the glaze.
• Warm your bowls: hot rice plus warm bowls keeps the glaze glossy and the eel tender.
• Sensitive to spice? Start with a tiny pinch of sanshō; it’s bright, peppery, and numbing if overused.

Variations

• Hitsumabushi-style: Serve the eel cut into bite-size pieces with condiments (nori, scallions, wasabi). Enjoy in three ways: plain, with condiments, and finally with hot dashi or green tea poured over.
• Grill option: Charcoal-grill the eel over medium heat, brushing with tare in thin layers until glossy; the smoke adds depth.
• Kabayaki-style salmon or tofu: Swap eel for salmon fillets or slabs of pressed, pan-seared firm tofu; glaze with tare as directed.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Tare keeps 2 weeks refrigerated in a sealed jar (or 3 months frozen); rewarm gently. Cucumber pickles are best within 24 hours but keep up to 3 days chilled. Cooked eel is best fresh; if needed, refrigerate up to 2 days and reheat under a hot broiler 1–2 minutes, brushing with fresh tare. Cooked rice is best same day; if storing, cool quickly and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then rewarm with a splash of water.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate: 700 kcal; 29 g protein; 20 g fat; 96 g carbohydrates; 1,600 mg sodium. Values will vary with portion size and how much tare is used.