• Thaw the eel fillet by putting in the fridge the night before you plan to use. 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 cups 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 Eel (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 nine 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 later.

Assemble the Eel (Unagi) Rolls

• Prepare your bamboo sushi mat: Cover your bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. This will help keep the rice from sticking to it.
• Tear or cut the nori sheet in half: Fold the nori sheet in half and gently tear along the seam. If it does not tear easily, use kitchen shears to cut the nori sheet in half.
• Press rice onto nori sheets: Next, place the nori sheet onto the plastic wrap with the shiny side facing down. Then press around 1/2 cup of rice onto the nori sheet in an even layer. Tip: Wet your hands in a bowl of water mixed with a splash of rice vinegar prior to handling the sushi rice. This will prevent the rice from sticking to your hands.
• Add sesame seeds: After the rice is pressed onto the nori sheet, add a thin layer of sesame seeds to the top of the rice. Then flip the sheet over so the rice is facing down.
• Cut the cucumber: Slice the cucumbers into strips that are as long as your nori sheet and about 1/8 inch thick.
• Cut the avocado: Slice the avocado in half the long way. Remove the seed and cut each half into 6 slices. Each whole avocado should yield around 12 slices.

   I often cut the slices right out of the avocado half and add directly to the roll to ensure freshness. You can also drizzle a little lemon juice over your cut avocado to prevent it from browning in your roll.
• Add the avocado and cucumber: Add the avocado slices and cucumber sticks horizontally along the nori sheet. In general, I add 2-4 avocado slices and 1-2 cucumber sticks depending on the size of each ingredient and how everything fits.
• Add the eel: Add a single row of eel slices to the unagi roll. I usually add around three or four pieces but how many depends on the size of each piece.
• Drizzle the filling with unagi (eel) sauce: Drizzle a line of the unagi (eel) sauce over the eel pieces in the filling.
• Roll the sushi: Use the bamboo sushi mat to fold your roll until it is completely enclosed. Once the rice is making contact with the nori sheet, pull back the sushi mat so it doesn't get caught in the roll. Still using the sushi mat as your guide, finish rolling until the roll is completely wrapped. Then wrap the sushi mat around the roll and gently tighten the roll together.

  Keep in mind that rolling sushi is an art that may take some practice so don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t look perfect your first time. It will get easier the more you do it.

  Tip: Check out the video for a demonstration on how to roll sushi.
• Cut the roll: Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 8 pieces. I do this by first cutting the roll in half. I then cut each half in half followed by cutting each fourth in half. Tip: Be sure to clean and wet the edge of your knife before cutting each roll.
• Drizzle with unagi sauce: Once the sushi roll is cut, drizzle the roll with unagi (eel) sauce to taste. I like to add a thinner layer of sauce to the top of the roll to make it easier to eat. You can always dip the pieces into a small ramekin of unagi (eel) sauce if you would like more sauce.
• Serve and enjoy: In addition to unagi (eel) sauce, you can also serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger.