Japanese Cooking

Marinated Eel

Cava Paraje japon Unagi (palillos actualizados).jpg

Cava de Guarda Superior Paraje Calificado sirviendo.png

Cava de Paraje Calificado is produced from vines in a small area which is distinguished from others by its specific characteristics (location and terroir). A superior Cava, synonymous with exceptional quality.

36 hour

Difficulty

4 people

Seafood

The eel is a key element of Japanese cuisine. At the Cava Regulatory Board we showed you how to prepare smoked eel (enlace a la otra receta), a somewhat complex recipe. However, in Japan there are so many ways of preparing eel that we want to offer you a simpler but no less tasty recipe that also pairs extremely well with cava, marinated eel.

Marinated eel is prepared with a sauce that contains some of the most typical Japanese ingredients: soy sauce, mirin and sake. The combination of flavours that according to molecular studies by aromas expert and “Créateur d’Harmonies” François Chartier pairs perfectly with cavas de paraje calificado or single estate cavas (aged for more than 36 months).

Ingredients

2 eels (very fresh)

150 g soy sauce

150 g mirin

50 g sake

1 tsp sugar

Instructions

Start off by preparing the sauce. Put the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar in a saucepan and heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid starts to boil, then turn down the heat. Cook over a gentle heat for 15 to 20 minutes. When ready, set aside.

Now it's time to prepare the eel. The first step is to clean it, removing the central bone, and cleaning the sides of the fish well.

Cut into evenly sized pieces and put them on a skewer as if you were making kebabs.

Place the skewers on the grill, and when the flesh has a firm texture, remove and cover them in the reserved sauce. They need to be completely covered.

Put them back on the grill (this time coated in the source) until the eel is cooked through.

After following these simple steps your marinated eel is now ready to eat. You could serve as you would fish kebabs, or alternatively in the Japanese way, on a bed of boiled rice.

Don't forget to pair your marinated eel with a cava de paraje calificado (aged for more than 36 months), to bring out the delicious, slightly sweet flavours. A simple and tasty combination that will make for a memorable moment.

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