Kabayaki Sauce for Fish

In Japan, kabayaki is a common way to cook fish, especially eel (unagi). The preparation entails butterflying, gutting, and deboning the fish. The fillets are then cut into pieces to be threaded onto skewers and dipped into a sweet soy sauce-based glaze, called kabayaki sauce. To cook, the fillets are grilled or broiled, so the sauce creates a flavorful crispy exterior. 

Kabayaki sauce is very similar to teriyaki sauce. Both use a combination of soy sauce and mirin (a sweet Japanese rice wine) sweetened with sugar. While teriyaki recipes add garlic and ginger (sometimes citrus and sesame), kabayaki keeps it simple with the three main ingredients. The sauce is no less flavorful and is a tantalizing combination of three taste sensations. Mirin gives it a sweet tang, sugar ramps up the sweetness, and soy sauce adds a great saltiness; the mirin and soy sauce each bring in the savoriness of umami.

Look for good-quality soy sauce and mirin at international markets. You can choose a low-sodium soy sauce or go with tamari for a gluten-free substitute. For the mirin, try to find hon-mirin as it is a purer form of the rice wine, made with two rice varieties and shochu. The alternative is aji-mirin, or a condiment designed to taste like mirin. It may be cheaper, contain less alcohol, and be at your local supermarket, but the flavor isn't quite the same, and you will notice the difference in a sauce like this.

Although kabayaki sauce is traditionally and most often served with eel, it is also delicious on salmon, as well as catfish, sea bass, and other fish. Since it requires a few ingredients and little time to cook, it's an ideal recipe ​for a busy weeknight, though it's also impressive enough to serve to guests.