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Putting a little spin on a classic Japanese dish and making unagi don. This seafood version comes together in minutes and tastes incredibly satisfying!
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What makes this dish special
Ever since I was little, unagi has been one of my favorite Japanese dishes. A sweet-salty sauce is brushed on an eel fillet and grilled until caramelized. You may be hesitant to give it a try because it is eel, but it just tastes like tender fish.
Nowadays, you can purchase already prepared eel at many Asian markets. I know, I know, since I'm a professional chef, I should be making everything from scratch. But I'll admit there are certain items that even I prefer to buy premade, and unagi is one of them. It's not only convenient, but it also tastes great. All you have to do is pop it in the oven, and it's ready to serve. In fact, I can rarely find eel fillets without the Japanese tare sauce already brushed on.
Today, I wanted to take my lunch a step further and prepare unagi don, a donburi-type bowl with sweet simmered eggs on steamed rice. The combination is unbeatable!
If you want to try another great unagi dish, check out this cold ramen noodles with broiled unagi recipe.
Recipe
Easy Unagi Don (Japanese Eel Rice Bowl)
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups rice cooked
- 8 ounces unagi fillet
- 6 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1 sheet nori, torn into small pieces, for garnish
- ¼ cup chopped scallion for garnish
- togarashi, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place unagi on a lined baking sheet and cook in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until hot. Turn on the broiler and broil for 1 minute. Remove from oven and keep warm.
- Heat 1 tablespon oil in a non-stick saute pan over medium heat. Whisk eggs and add soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar. Pour egg mixture into hot pan. Cover and let cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. The eggs should still be wet but set. Remove from heat.
- Portion rice into 2 bowls and top with sweet simmered eggs and unagi. Finish with avocado slices, chopped scallions, and nori. Sprinkle togarishi on top if desired.
Video
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Heat unagi
Unagi don is one of those quick, easy meals that also tastes fantastic. Since markets already sell pre-seasoned unagi, all you have to do is heat it and cook some eggs.
Heat the unagi in the oven until hot and then finish it in the broiler for about 1 minute or until slightly charred.
If you are unable to find the already prepared version of unagi, you can make it yourself at home. The unagi sauce is simply a combination of soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sake. You can also find unagi sauce sold in many Asian markets.
I like to prepare a batch of the sauce and add it to other meats, fried eggs, meaty vegetables like mushrooms or eggplant, and even ramen noodles.
Step 2: Cook eggs
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a bowl with soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Mirin is a sweet rice wine used in Japanese cuisine to add sweetness and shine to dishes. If you can't find mirin, use dry sherry instead.
Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the eggs to the pan, cover it with a lid, and let it sit undisturbed for 2 minutes.
The eggs are ready when they are set but still a little runny. You want the eggs to be still wet; that is the true Japanese way!
Step 3: Putting it all together
Now it's time to plate the unagi don. Distribute the rice among the bowls and carefully pour the eggs over the rice. Top with unagi, nori, fresh scallions, sliced avocado, and a sprinkle of togarashi if desired. Togarashi adds a bit of heat to the dish, but can be omitted if preferred.
This unagi don was amazingly good. I mean, really good people. I may be a little biased since I already love unagi, but how can you go wrong with eggs, rice, and unagi?
If you're still questioning whether you should give this a try, I recommend just preparing the eggs with the rice. That alone is already delicious!
For another fantastic don recipe, check out this General Tso's chicken oyakodon!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: Since this dish comes together so quickly, it's best to assemble everything right before cooking. You can cook the rice ahead of time and reheat it when ready to serve.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
More Japanese seafood recipes
Looking for more Japanese seafood dishes? Try these:
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