Ingredients
- 1 Smoked Eel, filleted and cut into approximately 12cm fillets
- 4 Large Beetroot, raw
- UNAGI GLAZE:
- 1/4 Cup mirin
- 1 1/2 Tbls Sake
- 2 1/2 Tbls sugar
- 1/4 Cup soy sauce
- MISO SAUCE:
- 1 Tsp Ginger, grated
- 4 Tbls White miso paste
- 3 Tbls Rice vinegar
- 2 Tbls Water
- 1 Tsp sesame oil
- TO SERVE:
- Freshly ground sansho pepper and fresh parsley leaves (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven grill to 180C
- Peel your beetroot and trim the ends off. Discard the ends but keep the peel. Using a vegetable sheeter, sheet each beetroot into one long strip. Roll the strips up tightly and tie with a piece of kitchen twine so they don't unroll.
- If you don't have a vegetable sheeter don't panic (most home cooks don't have one). Peel the beets and using a mandoline, slice the beets on the thinnest setting. Stack the slices on top of each other and trim them with a cookie cutter or knife so its a nice even stack. Tie together with kitchen twine.
- Place all the beetroot peels and trims into a food processor and blend to extract the juices. Add some water if needed. Strain the beetroot juice into a saucepan and add your beetroot rolls or stacks standing upright in the pan.
- Bring the beet juice to a simmer and simmer on low for 10 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid and turn the beet rolls over and simmer for 5 minutes with the lid off. Turn again and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- UNAGI GLAZE:
- Whilst the beets are cooking make your unagi glaze by combining the mirin, sake, soy and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer until the glaze has thickened and reduced by two thirds. Remove from heat and set aside.
- SMOKED EEL:
- On a lined baking sheet place the eel slices skin side down and place under the grill for 3 minutes, baste on some unagi glaze and grill for a further 3 minutes. Baste once more and grill for 2 minutes. Remove from heat
- MISO SAUCE:
- Prepare the miso sauce. Heat a small saucepan over low heat with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, add in the ginger and saute for 1 minute. Add in the vinegar and water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the miso paste.
- TO SERVE:
- Remove the kitchen twine from the beet rolls and slice in halves from top to bottom. Add the beets to the plates and drizzle a little beet juice from the pan over them.
- Place 2-3 eel fillets on each plate (depending on how many fillets you have) and pour on a couple of spoons of miso sauce next to the beetroot (not on top of the eel).
- Garnish the beets with parsley if using and sprinkle some sansho pepper over the eel fillets. Enjoy !
- NOTES:
- Mille Feuille is a French word that translates to 1000 leaves or 1000 sheets. Its generally a term used for French pastries. In this recipe we are using it in the sense that there are multiple layers of thinly sliced beetroot cooked solely in their own juices. Being cooked in this way gives the beets a unique texture and taste and the earthy flavour pairs well with the miso sauce. You can just roast the beets if you find that easier, they will still taste great but you really should give the Mille Feuille a try as its well worth the effort.
Product used in recipe
- Obento - Rice Wine Vinegar
