Kabayaki no Tare (蒲焼のたれ, eel glaze)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Pastry brush or Japanese hake brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Measure the tare

   Combine the shōyu, mirin, sake, and sugar in a small heavy saucepan. Stir before the heat goes on so the sugar begins dissolving evenly. This keeps the bottom from catching before the sauce has enough liquid movement to protect it.

2. 2

   Bring it up

   Set the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture just to a lively simmer. If you have a grilled eel bone or trimming, add it now. It gives the tare the quiet roasted depth that old eel shops build over many batches, but the sauce is still proper without it.

3. 3

   Reduce gently

   Lower the heat and simmer for 12 to 18 minutes, stirring now and then, until the bubbles grow slower and glossy and the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Don't boil it hard. Hard boiling drives off aroma too quickly and turns the sweetness heavy before the soy has time to round out.

   The deciding detail is texture, not darkness. Stop while it still runs from the spoon in a thin sheet, because it thickens as it cools.
4. 4

   Strain and rest

   Strain out the eel bone if using, then let the tare cool for a few minutes. It should be soy-dark, glossy, and balanced between salt, sweetness, and the clean edge of sake. Use it warm for brushing grilled eel, or cool it fully for storing.

5. 5

   Brush in layers

   For kabayaki, brush the tare on near the end of grilling, then return the eel to the heat briefly and brush again. Early sugar burns before the fish is ready. Late, repeated brushing builds the lacquer little by little, the way we do it here.

Chef Tips

• •Use real mirin if you can, not mirin-style seasoning. The true one has fermented sweetness and aroma, while the shortcut tastes mostly of sugar and salt.
• •Stop the reduction earlier than your eye wants. Hot tare should look a little loose, because it tightens as it cools and tightens again when it meets the grill.
• •Keep a separate bowl for brushing cooked food at the table. Any tare touched by raw or partly cooked eel should go back to the heat before serving.

Advance Preparation

• •The tare keeps two weeks refrigerated in a clean jar. Warm it gently before brushing so it spreads in a thin coat.
• •For deeper flavor, simmer the next batch with a spoonful of the previous batch. This is how a home pot begins to remember, without making a grand ceremony of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 18g)