Name: Skewered Grilled Eel (Liver, Collar, Fin, and Yawata Maki)
Cuisine: 和食
Ingredients: Eel liver (with gallbladder); Eel collar (head and gill area); Eel fins (dorsal and pectoral fins); Garlic chives (blanched); Eel belly (the fatty 'toro' equivalent); Eel back meat; Burdock root (boiled to remove astringency and steamed); Sauce (adjusted for a clean, light flavor); Salt; Wasabi soy sauce (for serving with skewered rolls)

About "Skewered Grilled Eel (Liver, Collar, Fin, and Yawata Maki)"

At Kawajiro, an eel specialty restaurant in Nakano, Tokyo, eel is served in a rare style—skewered and grilled by specific cuts. Featuring five varieties—liver, collar, fin, skewered roll, and Yawata maki—each is prepared with distinct prep methods and seasonings. Uniquely for the Kanto region, they grill the eel raw without steaming it first; the crackling sound of the swim bladder on the charcoal is proof of ultimate freshness. Featured in volume 80 of the cooking manga 'Oishinbo,' this famous shop is renowned for categorizing a single eel into detailed cuts, much like tuna.

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Tips for Making "Skewered Grilled Eel (Liver, Collar, Fin, and Yawata Maki)"

Freshness
- Because the liver is grilled with the gallbladder left intact, the eel must be freshly butchered. Refrigerating it for 1.5 to 2 days turns the pleasant bitterness into an unpleasant astringency.
Checking Freshness
- The popping sound heard during charcoal grilling is the eel's swim bladder expanding and bursting, which only happens with freshly butchered eel.
Sizing
- To grill eel raw without steaming, size is critical; oversized eels exceeding 400g are unsuitable. Eels are carefully selected for a size that grills up tender with unnoticeable bones.
Collar Prep
- The collar (head/gill area) is typically used for broth. Kawajiro steams or pressure-cooks it first to draw out a gelatinous texture and rich umami before grilling with salt.
Fin Prep
- Slice off the dorsal and pectoral fins, then wrap them around skewers with blanched garlic chives. The fin's natural coating turns into a fluffy texture and rich umami when heated.
Seasoning
- The skewered eel sauce is adjusted to be clean and light rather than cloyingly sweet, making it perfect for pairing with alcohol. Salt and sauce are used selectively by cut.
Yawata Maki Prep
- The burdock root for Yawata maki is boiled to remove bitterness and steamed beforehand. This is calculated so the burdock reaches a perfect, slightly crunchy tenderness just as the eel finishes grilling.
Grilling Method
- While Kanto-style eel is typically steamed before grilling, Kawajiro grills raw eel directly over charcoal. This brings out a smoky aroma and robust, natural flavor.

Ingredients for "Skewered Grilled Eel (Liver, Collar, Fin, and Yawata Maki)"

10 items

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Eelliver (with gallbladder)
Eelcollar (head and gill area)
Eelfins (dorsal and pectoral fins)
Garlicchives (blanched)
Eelbelly (the fatty 'toro' equivalent)
Eelback meat
Burdockroot (boiled to remove astringency and steamed)
Sauce(adjusted for a clean, light flavor)
Salt
Wasabisoy sauce (for serving with skewered rolls)

How to Make "Skewered Grilled Eel (Liver, Collar, Fin, and Yawata Maki)"

1
[Liver] Remove the liver from freshly butchered eel. Keep the gallbladder attached, skewer it, and grill over charcoal while brushing with sauce.
2
[Collar] Separate the collar (head and gill area), and prep by tenderizing it in a pressure cooker or similar. Skewer, season with salt, and grill over charcoal.
3
[Fin] After filleting the eel and removing the bones, carefully slice off the dorsal and pectoral fins. Blanch the garlic chives. Wrap the fins and chives around skewers, and grill over charcoal while brushing with sauce.
4
[Skewered Roll (Salt)] Wrap the fatty belly section (the 'toro' equivalent) around skewers, season with salt, and grill over charcoal. The skin side will turn whitish. Serve with wasabi soy sauce or salt.
5
[Yawata Maki (Sauce)] Boil the burdock root to remove astringency, then steam or cook it until tender. Wrap the burdock root with the eel back meat, skewer, and grill over charcoal while brushing with sauce.
6
When grilling over charcoal, a crackling and popping sound from the swim bladder is proof of high freshness. Using eel fresh enough to make this sound is key to the perfect finish.

Detailed Commentary on "Skewered Grilled Eel (Liver, Collar, Fin, and Yawata Maki)"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

The Appeal of Skewered Eel at Kawajiro

Kawajiro, located in Nakano, Tokyo, is an eel restaurant that Asami-san visited under the guidance of the Master. While eel is typically enjoyed as Unadon, Unaju, Shirayaki, or Nagoya's Hitsumabushi, this shop serves various cuts of eel on skewers, much like yakitori. It is a personal favorite of the Master, who has frequented it for years; currently, a relative of the founder mans the grill. Serving eel skewered and divided by specific cuts is extremely rare, and Asami-san was deeply impressed by its complexity. Enjoying these hard-to-find cuts piece by piece with a cold beer is the ultimate charm of this restaurant.

Raw Grilling and Tenderizing Techniques

In the Kanto region, it is customary to steam eel before grilling, but Kawajiro skips the steaming process, grilling the raw eel directly over charcoal. This dynamic grilling method delivers a smoky aroma and the robust, natural flavor of the ingredient. Furthermore, depending on the cut, they don't just grill it raw; they also employ a technique called 'modosu' (tenderizing) using a pressure cooker before skewering and grilling with salt. The craftsman's dedication and skill are packed into every single skewer, ensuring each cut is prepared and served in its absolute best state.

The Founder Featured in 'Oishinbo'

Kawajiro is a famous shop featured in volume 80 of the popular cooking manga 'Oishinbo.' The legendary founding owner appears in the manga, and according to the Master, he is still actively grilling eel at another location today, which the Master also visits. The brilliance of this restaurant lies in how they categorize a single eel into detailed cuts—much like tuna—and systematized them into a skewered menu. A diagram explaining the different cuts is posted inside the shop, and this unique butchering and prep technique introduced in the manga continues to be passed down faithfully today.

Addictive Bitter Liver and Freshness

The first course served is the sauce-glazed grilled liver ('kimoyaki'). Taking a bite reveals a distinct, pleasant bitterness, which comes from the gallbladder. While most eel restaurants remove the gallbladder because it is too bitter, Kawajiro leaves it intact on the skewer. This is only possible because they use exceptionally fresh, newly butchered eel. According to the Master, if these livers are refrigerated for 1.5 to 2 days before grilling, the delicious bitterness turns into an unpleasant, astringent taste, ruining the dish. It is a premium bitterness that can only be experienced with absolute freshness.

The Unique Texture of Rare Collar Cuts

Next is the grilled collar ('eriyaki'), seasoned simply with salt. This refers to the area around the eel's head and gills. Japanese chefs like the Master typically do not serve this part directly; instead, they remove the gills, dry and grill the collars, and use them to make eel broth. However, Kawajiro's collar is pre-tenderized or steamed, giving it a uniquely gelatinous texture and deep umami that make it incredibly delicious. Although you have to navigate some small bones while eating, the outstanding flavor makes it well worth the effort.

Flavorful Grilled Fins and Clean Sauce

The third dish is the fragrant, sauce-glazed grilled fin ('hireyaki'). After filleting the eel and removing the bones, the dorsal and pectoral fins are carefully sliced off and wrapped around a skewer along with blanched garlic chives. Eel fins have a natural gelatinous coating that transforms into a fluffy texture and rich umami when heated. The accompanying sauce is not cloyingly sweet like typical Unaju sauce, but is adjusted to be clean and light—perfect for pairing with drinks. This sauce clings beautifully to the fins and chives, enhancing their juicy flavor. Their take-out 'Unamusubi' (eel rice balls) are also highly popular.

Fatty Skewered Rolls and Yawata Maki

The fourth dish, 'Kushimaki' (salted skewered roll), uses the eel's belly—the fattiest part, equivalent to tuna's 'toro.' Characterized by its whitish skin when grilled, eating it with wasabi soy sauce or salt fills your mouth with the sweetness of premium fat. The fifth dish, 'Yawata maki' (sauce-glazed), features burdock root wrapped in eel back meat. The burdock is not used raw; it is boiled to remove bitterness and then steamed. This careful prep ensures that by the time the eel is perfectly grilled, the burdock reaches an ideal, slightly crunchy tenderness, while retaining its signature earthy aroma.

Popping Swim Bladders and Ideal Sizing

While grilling at Kawajiro, a lively popping and crackling sound, like tiny balloons bursting, echoes from the grill. This is not the charcoal popping, but the eel's swim bladders expanding and bursting from the heat. This sound only occurs with ultra-fresh, newly butchered eel. Additionally, to grill eel beautifully from raw without steaming, the size of the eel is critical. For instance, a thick, oversized eel weighing 400g cannot be grilled raw in this manner. Kawajiro achieves a tender texture with unnoticeable bones by selecting the perfect size for raw grilling and preparing it with masterful technique.

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