• Thaw the eel by putting it in the fridge the night before you plan on using it. However, if you are in a time crunch, you can also thaw it quickly by running the package through warm water.

Cook Sushi Rice

• Rinse 2/3 cup of sushi rice by placing it in a colander and running water through it until the water is clear.
• After the rice is rinsed, add it to a sauce pan with 1 cup of water (I would check the instructions on the sushi rice package to see exactly how much water to add as it can vary depending on the brand).
• Bring the water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the rice simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft.
• Remove the rice and place into a bowl or dish and let cool. I would line the dish with parchment paper prior to adding the rice to avoid sticking.
• Mix two tablespoons of sushi vinegar into your rice. Stir until it has absorbed into the rice. Once cooled and fully absorbed, your rice is ready to roll!

Prepare the Unagi Sauce

• To prepare the unagi sauce combine soy sauce, sugar, and mirin into a sauce pan and heat on medium heat. Mix together as the pan heats up until the mixture is combined.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer.
• Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool. You will notice it thickening as it cools.

Prepare the Eel

• Remove eel fillet from the package and place on a plate.
• Wipe the existing sauce from the eel with a paper towel or cloth. Many chefs don't do this but I don't love the sauce that comes on the eel. I instead prefer to add my own unagi sauce both inside the sushi roll with the fillings and drizzled over the top of the sushi roll after it is cut.
• Once the sauce is removed, slice the eel in half down the center creating two long fillets.
• Place half of the eel fillet at a 45 degree angle on the cutting board. Then cut the eel into slices an inch or so wide and around 3 inches long. When cutting, tilt your knife at a 45 degree angle.
• Add the eel strips to a greased baking sheet skin side up and broil on high for six minutes. Place on the top rack so it is around 9 inches from the heat.
• After broiling, quickly remove the eel from the baking sheet and place on a plate to be used in the sushi.

Assemble the Unagi (Eel) Nigiri

• Cut the nori sheets into strips about one half an inch wide.
• Mix a splash of rice vinegar into a bowl of water and wet hands. This helps prevent rice from sticking to your hands.

  After wetting your hands, use your first two fingers to form a small ball of sushi rice into the shape of a cylinder. The exact size depends on the size of your eel slices. The eel should hang over the rice slightly on the front and back of the nigiri.
• Drape eel slice over the sushi rice ball. I would use a slice that is large enough to cover the rice ball but not touch the plate.
• Wrap the nori strip around the eel slice and rice ball to hold in place. Press the two ends of the nori strip together to hold in place on the bottom of the rice ball.
• Drizzle unagi sauce over the unagi nigiri and enjoy!