Grilled Eel
Updated February 23, 2016 
Cookbook
Eating Korean: From Barbecue to Kimchi, Recipes from My Home
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
A favorite in Korean barbecue joints, this slightly sweet flavor is a wonderful seasoning for eel. Choose fresh, live eels if possible. Otherwise, use frozen, thawed eels. You can make a spicy version by adding a couple of tablespoons of chili paste to the seasoning. As with all grilling recipes, you may use the broiler to cook the eel. But watch carefully since eels cook very quickly.
Makes6 to 8 servings, depending on the other banchan and kimchi served
Cooking Methodbroiling, grilling
CostModerate
Total Timeunder 1 hour
Make Ahead RecipeYes
Kid FriendlyYes
One Pot MealYes
Recipe Coursemain course
Dietary Considerationegg-free, gluten-free, low carb, peanut free, tree nut free
Equipmentgrill
Five Ingredients or LessYes
Mealdinner
Moodadventurous
Taste and Texturegarlicky, rich, savory, spiced, umami, winey
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- Black pepper
- 2 eels
Instructions
-
In a small stockpot, add the soy sauce, green onions, garlic, ginger, sugar, rice wine, sesame oil, and black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and, stirring occasionally, simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
-
Meanwhile clean the eels, removing the heads and entrails. Halve the eels lengthwise, removing the bones. Then cut the halves into about 2- to 3-inch widths.
-
Grill the eel pieces on an oiled grill. Baste the eels with the seasoning and grill again. The fish should be white all the way through and slightly charred and browned on the edges.
-
Serve with several leaves of red curly leaf lettuce or just with rice, banchan, and kimchi.
2005 Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee
