Marinated cucumber and glaze-grilled eel

うざく（uzaku)

EXPLANATION

A dish of glaze-grilled eel and cucumbers marinated in vinegar.

The glaze-grilled eel is called “eel kabayaki” in Japan. Kabayaki is a dish that is grilled fragrantly with a rich sauce made by mixing dark soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and sake.

The rich eel goes well with the refreshing cucumber.

Eel is a high-class dish, so it’s a little extravagant to eat, but it’s definitely a dish you should try.

NUTRITION FACTS

114 kcal Protein 7.5g Fat 6.5g Carb 6.5g Salt Equivalent 1.3g

INGREDIENT(2SERVINGS)

cucumber 100g
salt 2g
☆vinegar 18g
☆sugar 7g
☆light soy sauce 4g
glaze-grilled eel　 60g
ginger 4g

HOW TO COOK

➀ Slice the cucumber into 2mm slices, rub in the salt and leave for 10 minutes.

② Combine vinegar, sugar, and light soy sauce and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.

③ Soak cucumber into the seasoning.

④ Cut the eel into 5 mm width.

⑤ Slice the ginger into 0.5 mm and cut it thinly.
⑥ Arrange the cucumber and eel on a plate.

⑦ Put ginger on top.

MEMO

In July, when the heat is in full swing, many people get exhausted and get sick in this season.
Each of the 18 days before Ritsuka is called ‘Doyo’. In the calendar, dates are assigned to the twelve signs of the zodiac, and the ox day comes around in a 12-day cycle. In other words, during the period of doyo” before the beginning of summer, the day that overlaps withday of the ox” is “midnight day of the ox”. In Japan, there is a custom to eat eel on this “Midsummer Day of the Ox”.

Eels are difficult to handle, so most people buy already cooked eel kabayaki.
In the Kansai region, the eel is cut open on the belly side, and in the Kanto region, it is cut on the back. In the Kanto region, the key is to steam the eel once before grilling it.

The reason why people started eating eel on this day is unknown, but it was probably thought that the high calorie and high protein content would help build physical strength. Eel is also very high in retinol, a type of vitamin A. This is also a nutrient that tends to be deficient, so it is a food that you want to ingest from time to time.

naokoan

I’m Naoko. After graduating from a registered dietitian training school, I am working as a registered dietitian at a hospital in Japan. I love to cook and eat delicious food. I make recipes with calorie counting. The reason why all the ingredients are written as “g” is to accurately calculate calories. I am especially good at cooking with pressure cookers and ovens. I would like to introduce the recipe to foreigners who are interested in Japanese food. So I started writing Japanese home cooking recipes on my blog in English. 大学卒業後、管理栄養士として病院で勤務しています。レシピはカロリー計算を出来るだけ正確に行いたいので“g”で表記しています。日本の家庭料理のレシピを英語で紹介しています。圧力鍋とオーブンを使う料理が得意です。日本食・和食に興味を持ってもらえたら嬉しいです。よろしくお願いします(*ˊᵕˋ)♡‧₊

うざくってどんな料理？？

うなぎの蒲焼きとキュウリの酢漬けです。

glaze-grilled eel は日本では「うなぎの蒲焼き」と呼びます。蒲焼きは、濃口醤油、みりん、砂糖、酒を混ぜた濃厚なタレを付けて香ばしく焼き上げる料理です。

濃厚なうなぎにさっぱりとしたキュウリがよく合います。

鰻は高級食材なので少し贅沢ですが、ぜひ食べていただきたい一品です。

材料（2人分）

キュウリ　 100g
塩　 2g
☆酢　 18g
☆砂糖　 7g
☆薄口醤油　 4g
うなぎのかば焼き　 60g
生姜　 4g

日本語の作り方(*ˊᵕˋ)♡‧₊

①きゅうりは2mm幅に切り、塩もみして10分おく

②酢、砂糖、薄口しょうゆを合わせて電子レンジで30秒加熱する

③きゅうりを調味料に漬け込む

④うなぎは5mm幅に切る

⑤しょうがは0.5mm幅にスライスし、薄切りにする

⑥お皿にきゅうりとうなぎを盛り付ける

⑦しょうがをのせる

MEMO

暑さが本格化する7月、この季節は疲れて体調を崩す人も少なくありません。

立夏までの18日間を「土用」といいます。暦では十二支に日付が割り当てられており、12日周期で丑の日が巡ってきます。つまり、初夏前の「土用」の期間中、「土用の丑の日」と重なる日が「土用の丑の日」となります。日本ではこの「土用の丑の日」にうなぎを食べる習慣があります。

鰻は扱いが難しいため、調理済みの鰻の蒲焼を買う人がほとんどです。うなぎは関西では腹側、関東では背開きとなります。関東では鰻を焼く前に一度蒸すのがポイントです。

この日に鰻を食べるようになった理由は不明ですが、おそらく高カロリー、高たんぱく質で体力づくりに役立つと考えられたのでしょう。うなぎにはビタミンAの一種であるレチノールも多く含まれており、こちらも不足しがちな栄養素なので、定期的に摂取したい食材です。