Bart's "Heavenly" Unagi Bowl
BAKED "FRESHWATER EEL" OVER A BED OF WHITE RICE & UNAGI SAUCE
A Recipe From Bart's Cookbook 🕮 Who's Hungry? © 2024 by Bart Smith
RECIPE INTRODUCTION
Have you ever had unagi (freshwater eel)? Trust me! It tastes just like chicken, but 1,000% better... melts in your mouth better than anything you’ve ever eaten. Maybe you’ve seen this item on a sushi menu. It’s not like other sushi items that are cold and raw. Unagi is actually baked (in a toaster oven) for about 10 minutes then serve it with unagi sauce on top. So YUMMY!
Unagi is my favorite sushi item every time I hit the sushi bar. What’s more, I have the record at one sushi restaurant for eating more than 52 pieces of unagi at a sitting. This love affair I have with unagi motivates me to buy the “steak size” unagi when I am near an Asian market. A package of unagi can cost $15-$25. I’ll buy several packages to keep on hand because you can’t buy it at your regular grocery store.
Now, let me show you how to prepare this delicacy. I know you will enjoy it, too.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
❑ RICE COOKER — Per unagi package, all you need is about 1.5 cups of cooked rice in your rice cooker. If you don't have one, GET ONE! They're so useful. Otherwise, you could heat up some rice on the stove in a pot. Your call.
❑ TOASTER OVEN — To warm up your unagi. DO NOT warm up your unagi in the microwave. If you don't have a toaster oven, the oven will do.
❑ ALUMINUM FOIL — To wrap your unagi in so you can warm it up in the toaster oven.
❑ METAL TRAY — If you only have an oven to warm up your unagi, you'll want to put your tinfoil wrapped unagi on a tray so you can lay it on something (not just on the racks). Toaster ovens usually come with a tray of sorts.
❑ SERVING BOWLS — This will be used to sauté any chicken, tuna or other meat you might choose to include in your mac ‘n’ cheese.
❑ CHOPSTICKS -and/or- SPOONS — I like to use a tablespoon to devour my unagi rice bowl. Maybe a fork will do you better. Your call.
INGREDIENTS
❑ GRILLED UNAGI (FRESHWATER EEL) — This type of eel comes precooked. So, all you have to do is warm it up in the toaster oven at about 250º for about 15 minutes.
FYI, one (1) eel package serves one really hungry man or a man and a woman nicely. If you have 3 or more people to feed this delight to, then you best get two (2) eel packages.
I can personally eat a whole one myself. But, I'm an unagi monster. I could easily share 1/3 of the package with a female's appetite, if you know what I mean.
Otherwise, if you're feeding two (2) dudes, best each dude has his own eel package. Hope that helps.
❑ LONG GRAIN RICE — I find long grain rice the best to cook, rather than short grain rice. Your call, though. You just need to cook 1.5 cups of rice per eel package.
❑ UNAGI SAUCE — Having extra unagi sauce on hand is a must. It just is. Okay? Good.
DIRECTIONS
Step by step instructions on how to make my unagi rice bowl just like I do at home.
#1 — WASH & COOK YOUR RICE
★ 1.1 → All you need is about 1.5 cups of long grain rice (per eel pack) you wish to serve.
★ 1.2 → I wash my rice in the rice cooker bowl in the sink while running scorching hot water into the bowl as I stir the rice (in hot water) with a plastic rice spatula. I'll wash, empty and refill the rice cooker bowl with scorching hot water about 10-15 times or until the water is clear and my rice is nice and clean.
★ 1.3 → Then, I'll fill the rice cooker, not with tap water, but with bottled water. Fill it according to how much rice you use. It's nice to pour clean water on clean rice and let it cook.
★ 1.4 → Rice should cook for about 15-20 minutes. That said, stir it while in the cooker towards the end. Then, let it remain on "Warm" after it's done cooking for another 10 minutes. Further cook the rice and get rid of all that remaining water/steam.
STEP #2
Open your unagi package like
this so you can cut it in half.
STEP #3
Slice it in half so it fits better
inside your toaster oven.
STEP #4
Place unagi on tinfoil and
on a tray which you'll put
in the toaster oven.
STEP #5
I add extra unagi sauce to
the eel before I warm it
up in the toaster oven.
STEP #6
Once your unagi is done
warming up in the oven,
it looks like this.
STEP #7
Before you take it off the
tinfoil, slice up your unagi
in bite-sized pieces.
STEP #8
Before adding unagi on
top of the rice, I add a
little unagi sauce to the rice.
STEP #9
Now, it's time to transfer
your cooked unagi to your
individual serving bowls.
STEP #10
It's time! Time to serve up your unagi to yourself and guests if you have any!
BART SMITH'S
UNAGI BOWL
FRESHWATER EEL OVER
A BED OF WHITE RICE
If you love unagi (eel) like I do, then you'll love diving into this delicacy a couple times a month.
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