Uzaku

There seem to be several theories about the origin of the dish name uzaku, but it appears that "u" comes from unagi (eel), while "zaku" comes from the rough, chunky way the eel and cucumber are cut and dressed together, as well as the crunchy bite you get from the cucumber.

The key point of uzaku is to let the eel's fat carry over into the vinegar. We combine freshly grilled eel so its rich flavor transfers into the wakame and cucumber as well. If you make it in advance, the cucumber loses its life, so we dress it one serving at a time and try to serve it as fresh as possible. Also, if the eel used for uzaku is too thick, the bones become noticeable, so eel running about 4 fish per kilogram is best.

Also, because julienned ginger (hari-shoga) tends to clump together, we add the ginger to the tosazu first, then toss it with the freshly grilled kabayaki and the other ingredients, and plate it one serving at a time. If you toss it roughly, the tender eel will fall apart, so it's best to handle it gently. By adding mirin that's had its alcohol cooked off to the tosazu - which already contains mirin - you get to enjoy even more richness, along with the flavor and freshness of something just combined.

① Butterfly-open the eel, skewer it, grill it, and then steam it through.

② Brush on the eel sauce (unagi tare) to finish it as kabayaki.

③ Combine the julienned ginger with the tosazu, then add in mirin that's had its alcohol cooked off once more. Add a set amount of kombu dashi, cucumber that's been softened with salt, and wakame that's been blanched to a vivid color, into the seasoned vinegar from the previous step.

④ While the kabayaki is still hot from grilling, cut it quickly and combine it with the rest.

⑤ Top with vinegar-pickled myoga.