Grilled, steamed and grilled again, then dipped in a sweet soy glaze; the work that makes eel worth eating is already done.

What It Is

Fillets of eel, butterflied and opened flat, grilled over charcoal, steamed to loosen the flesh, then grilled a second time and brushed with kabayaki sauce. That double grill is what gives the surface its lacquer and the meat its softness. Five whole fish to a pack, each split into two fillets.

Where It Comes From

Raised in ponds and processed at a plant that handles nothing else. The eel is killed, boned and grilled the same day, then frozen with the glaze set hard so the surface does not smear in the pack.

Specifications

State on Arrival

Frozen solid with the glaze glossy and unbroken. The meat under the sauce should be pale with a faint pink tinge at the bone line, and the scored surface should still show its grid.

Storage and Thawing

Hold at -18 C or colder. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, still sealed, so the glaze stays on the fish instead of in the bag. Warm it through rather than cooking it again: it is already cooked, and a second hard cook turns the meat to mush. Do not refreeze.

Shelf Life and Delivery

Best within 12 months of the production date on the pack. Ships in an insulated liner with dry ice and arrives hard frozen.

How to Cook It

The sauce burns before the flesh heats, so keep the heat moderate and watch the glaze, not the clock.

• Rice bowl warm the fillet, lay it over hot rice, spoon over the sauce from the pack and finish with sesame and shredded nori.
• Sushi topping cut on the diagonal into 1 cm strips and lay them over seasoned rice; warm the strips slightly first.
• Pan-fry lay it glaze side up in a dry pan over medium heat for 3 minutes until the sauce bubbles at the edges.
• Grill 2 minutes under a hot grill, glaze side up, until the surface darkens and the meat loosens.

Allergen Information

Contains fish, soy and wheat, all present in the glaze. Packed in a facility that also handles crustaceans and molluscs.