Unagi sushi (Japanese eel) rolls are delicious, rich, and sweet and are an excellent choice for a dinner or lunch that your family and friends will enjoy. A great recipe for making sushi at home.

Today, I’m sharing a delicious and well-received Japanese takeout recipe. Unagi (Japanese Eel) rolls are my favorite sushi roll. Unagi is a sweet, bold, and rich-tasting fish. Unagi, a Japanese term for freshwater eel, is what you’d call it. This delicious unagi sauce, we’ve already made a recipe and you can check it here,  is what you’ll find on the unagi.

You can find frozen unagi vacuum-packed at your local Asian grocery. I should’ve shared this recipe with you a long time ago, but it’s never too late. So, without further ado, let’s make these amazing Unagi sushi rolls. Also, be sure to check the whole article for some helpful tips.

Unagi Sushi Rolls Recipe

Ingredients

For the Rice

• 1 Cup of sushi rice (short-grain)
• 2 TBSP of sushi vinegar
• 1 Cup of water

For Unagi

• 4 oz of Unagi
• 2 nori seaweed sheets
• ½ of cucumber (cut into ½-inch strips)
• sesame seeds (to your liking)
• 2 onions
• Unagi sauce (see recipe here)

Instructions

For the sushi rice:

• First, rinse the rice nicely, then add it to the rice cooker. Add water.
• Once the rice has been cooked, move it to a large bowl. Let it cool slightly. Combine and mix the sushi vinegar or the mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt while it is still warm.

For Unagi

• Bake the unagi in the oven at 360F for around 10 minutes or as directed on the packaging. Cut it into strips of 1/2-inch.

Unagi Sushi Roll

• Place a piece of plastic wrap over the bamboo mat to make cleanup easier and keep rice from sticking to it.
• Use scissors to cut the nori sheets in half.
• Take half of the nori sheet and put on the bamboo shining side down.
• Spread rice evenly (approximately 3/4 cup) on top of nori. Sprinkle sesame seeds. To prevent sticking, dip your hands in Tezu water*.
• Flip the sheet over and add unagi and cucumber slices, onions, or any other fillings like avocado to the middle.
• The thumbs should be placed underneath the bamboo mat. Lift the edge upwards and roll over the filling. The bamboo mat should be rolled away from you. Press the rice and filling together. Continue rolling until you reach the end.
• Each roll should be cut into eight pieces.
• For an extra flavorful touch, drizzle unagi sauce over the top of your roll. Enjoy immediately.

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What is Unagi?

Unagi, a freshwater eel, is a Japanese favorite fish and is also a popular Japanese dish. It’s often served in sushi restaurants as nigiri, or as rolls.

Kabayaki and unadon are popular Japanese dishes. However, they’re more difficult to find outside Japan.

Broiled eels can be served with just a small amount of salt. However, it is best served with Eel sauce.

What does Unagi taste like?

Unagi is loved for its rich, sweet, and fatty taste. It has a soft, slightly oily texture.

What’s Unagi Sushi?

Unagi Sushi (or Maki sushi) is a type that uses seasoned rice and nori seaweed to roll ingredients. Unagi, or freshwater eel is the key ingredient. It is well-known for its bold, rich, naturally sweet taste and soft texture. It is a common ingredient in many Japanese cuisines.

This recipe was made into an inside-out roll, with the rice on the outside and nori on the inside. The filling is wrapped in foil.

Unagi Sauce

Unagi sauce, also known as eel sauce and kabayaki is a sweet and salty sauce used to glaze grilled fish or chicken in Japanese cuisine. They can be purchased at your local Japanese grocery store or ordered online.

Ingredients for Unagi Sushi

• Unagi: Traditional sushi uses grilled BBQ unagi (eel), which is a fish that has been cooked in teriyaki or unagi sauce. You can find it in frozen sections at Japanese grocery stores or online at Amazon.
• Sushi rice: For the best results, use Japanese short-grain rice.
• Cucumber : Besides cucumber, you also have the option to add avocado slices. For extra flavor, I added the onions.
• Sushi Vinegar To season the rice and add more flavor. You can substitute with rice vinegar, sugar and salt.
• Nori Seaweed sheet: Search for seaweed sheets in a dark color with a slight green hue.
• Unagi Sauce : Although it is optional, it will elevate your unagi roll to a whole new level. You can buy it in a Japanese grocery shop or order it online.
• Sesame: You have the option of using white, black or a combination. Toasting the seeds in a pan for five minutes will give them a lovely nutty taste and aroma.

How do you select Nori sheets?

Nori sheets are best if they have a dark color with a slight green tint. They should be the same thickness and have no holes. When folded in half, the fresh ones will be crisp and breakable.

Pairing recommendations for Unagi Beverage

The umami and sweetness of eels is a big plus. This is a great match for rich, earthy sake. Unagi is a great pairing with honjozo and yamahai-style junmai. These sake are full of umami, with a refreshing, sour finish.

Rich is the key word for sake pairings. Eel can also enjoy fruity sake. Make sure they are rich. This is often found in junmai ginjo sake grade ginjo.

Pairing Wine With Unagi

Eel can be used with red, white and fortified wine.

Wines made with Gewürztraminer grape are my top choice.

Because eel is similar in texture to chicken but with a hint of sweetness. It has a strong flavor that calls for wine with similar strength. For wines that don’t go overboard on sugar, look for wines from higher altitude areas (such as northern Italy).

Vouvray and pinot noir white wines can be exceptional, especially if they have a little residual sugar.

Unagi can also go well with pinot noir wines that are fruity. You should look for wines from Oregon and California as well as New Zealand. Beaujolais Crus, made with gamay, are also worth looking out.

It is also worth noting Albariño wine. This Spanish and Portuguese wine can be enjoyed with many kinds of seafood. Dry Oloroso is particularly fond of unagi.

Important Notes

• *For making Tezu water, combine and mix 1/3 cup water with 2 teaspoons rice vinegar.
• Do not put hot sushi rice in the refrigerator to cool off, as this can affect its taste and texture.
• My sushi roll is falling apart. You could have used the wrong rice or not squeezed the sushi rolls tight enough. While rolling, you need to make sure that the bamboo mat is pulled in while you tuck in.

Are you ready for this amazing homemade pan-fried walleye recipe? Walleye is undisputedly the champion of fish-dish in states like Minnesota or Wisconsin. It’s a good reason. It has a mild, sweet flavor, while its flesh, which is white, is firm, and flakey. Walleye is one of few fishes that can be prepared in almost any way you want, and be delicious. 

Pan-Fried Walleye is quick and easy to prepare. It has a crisp coating that makes it crispy. Only a few ingredients can be used to enhance the natural flavor of walleye fish.

Ok, let’s make this dish as it’s made originally in Minnesota.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of 6-inch cut pieces walleye fillets
• 2Eggs
• 1 Cup of flour
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp of pepper
• 2 Cups of crushed saltine crackers
• For frying use Neutral oil

How to make Pan-Fried Walleye Recipe

For Breading the walleye

• Take out three bowls. Combine the flour, garlic powder and paprika in one bowl. Combine all ingredients.
• Whisk the eggs in the second bowl. Add the crushed saltine crackers to the last bowl.
• After mixing the flour, eggs and saltine crackers, bread each walleye piece by placing it in the flour mixture.
• Then, dip them in the eggs mixture, and at the end, coat them with saltine crackers

Frying the walleye

• Put the oil in a frying pan till it covers the entire bottom of the pan. Heat the pan on medium heat.
• Place the walleye pieces in the hot oil. Let them cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes. Flip them with a pair tongs and fry the other side for 3-4 minutes. Each piece should be removed and placed on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
• The pan-fried walleye can be served with some parsley and a squeeze of lemon. Bon appetite!

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Walleye fish

Walleye is a fish with a habitat in freshwaters. This fish can be found in many lakes across Canada and the Northern United States. This fish is very mild-tasting and white.

My first experience with walleye was on a trip to Minnesota. Recently, I have been enjoying it during family trips to northern Ohio.

Walleyes can reach 20 lbs. or more. This is why fillets caught on commercial fishing trips to the Great Lakes are quite common.

Walleye has a mild flavor and texture that is similar to red snapper, or another white ocean-going fish.

Pan-fried walleye is great with a little bit of homemade tartar Sauce, and a bit of lemon juice. 

This recipe can be used to pan-fry almost any white fish fillet. Depending on the size of your fillets, cooking times may vary.

Easy Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

Combine and mix:

• 1/2 cup Miracle Whip or Mayo
• 1/8 cup chopped dill pickle relish
• Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon dill weed on top if you’re feeling you want it to be a bit fancy😊.

Tips and Tricks

Most midwestern would agree that fresh breading walleye is the best way to cook them. We’re not talking about any kind of breading. They use a top-secret ingredient in the midwest, and it is Saltine crackers

Saltine crackers, yes, that’s right. Saltine crackers can be used as a substitute for breadcrumbs, even though it sounds silly at first. It is mild in flavor and makes one of the flakiest crusts that you can eat. It is perfect for walleye filets.

• This recipe calls for saltine crackers, but you can substitute them with any other brand of crackers, such as Ritz, Club, Town House, etc.
• To crush the saltine crackers, simply place them in a bag. Next, crush the saltine crackers with your fists.
• Wild rice is a popular side dish to pan-fried walleye. It’s a great side dish to pan-fried walleye, and I love pairing it with our purple sweet potatoes.

You can also use other seasonings on walleye

• Blackened seasoning
• garlic butter
• cajun
• Chinese 5 spices

Basque Burnt Cheesecake is creamy on the inside, caramelized on top and now, with this recipe it’s easy to make. The cheesecake’s distinctive dark, rich top is made by baking at high temperatures. For a foolproof recipe, follow my tips and tricks to be able to create the ultimate version of this popular cheesecake!

Since a lot of people are complaining to recipe websites in general, with their bad user experience and having to go through the entire article scrolling to the bottom of the page, this time, and from now on we are going to jump right into recipe, but to make the best Basque Burnt Cheesecake I highly recommend you read the whole article. 🙂

Ingredients

• 1 lb of Philadelphia cream cheese
• 3 whole eggs
• 8 TBSP of sugar
• 2 TBSP of all-purpose flour (for gluten-free version use rice flour)
• 8 oz of heavy cream
• 2 tsp of cornstarch
• 1 – 2 TBSP of lemon juice
• A pinch of sea salt

Instructions

To heat the oven

• Pre-heat the oven with a fan to 450F (235C). (If your oven doesn’t have a fan, heat the conventional oven at 475F (250C).)
•  You can heat your oven to the highest temperature for between 30-60 minutes if it doesn’t heat up quickly. Mine is 600F (300C). The convection oven uses the middle rack. Because the fan circulates air, the middle rack works well.
• For the traditional oven, you will need to move the rack slightly higher because heat rises and the oven’s top temperature is higher. Keep in mind, however, that a 3-inch cake pan will need extra space to rise.

How to prepare the cake pan

• For this recipe, you should use round 6-7 inches springform cake pan with 2 large parchment papers sheets. You should leave at least a 2-inch overhang on all sides of the parchment paper sheets you have cut. To find the center of parchment paper, fold it twice.
• Place 2 sheets of parchment paper over each other so that the center matches the cross. Place the longer side against the other. Place the removable bottom on top.
• To ensure that the cake pan fits snugly, press down on the removable bottom and parchment paper. You can also press the paper around your cake pan.
• Remove the parchment-paper mold and the removable bottom. Then, place the removable bottom in the cake pan. Place the parchment-paper mold into the cake pan. To make sure the paper fits perfectly, press down on the paper.

To Make the Batter for Basque Burnt Cheesecake

• Cream cheese should be at room temperature. You can microwave the cream cheese at half power (50%) in a microwave-safe bowl for 45 seconds or at 15-second increments.
• Make the cream cheese soften by pressing down on it. Then add sugar.
• Mix cream cheese and sugar together by pressing the spatula against a bowl. As the sugar granules are gone, cream cheese will become smooth and fluffy.
• Make sure to scrape the bowl and spatula frequently to make sure that they don’t stick to each other and that there aren’t any lumps.
• Mix eggs well in a separate bowl.
• Slowly, gradually and three times per minute add the beaten eggs. Do not add the egg to the batter until it is smooth and free of lumps.
• Blend each addition with cream cheese COMPLETELY AND THOROUGHLY.
• Blend in the remaining egg.
• Use a spatula to scrape the batter out of the bowl. Make sure that there are no lumps. Next, add the lemon juice.
• As you mix the cornstarch and cake flour, sift a bit. Continue sifting until you have incorporated all of the flour. This is a slow process. There are no lumps.
• Mix in salt. At this stage, before adding heavy cream or more liquid, make sure there are no lumps.
• Slowly add heavy cream, stirring constantly. Mix it all together.
• To prevent air pockets from forming, pour the batter directly into the prepared pan. The cake pan should be tapped on the countertop several times.
• Use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to pop any air bubbles. Then, use the toothpick to run the batter through the blender. Bake the cheesecake on a baking tray if you are unsure if it will overflow. It never happened to mine, but it is easier to transfer the pan from the oven to it.

To bake Basque Burnt Cheesecake

• Bake the cake pan in the oven at 450oF (230oC), or 475oF (245oC if you have a conventional oven) for 30-35 minutes. Please be careful as every oven is different. The top of my cheesecake doesn’t turn dark until the 30-minute mark. After that, it turns dark within five minutes. If you prefer the texture of this cake, bake it for less time than I did. The cake should not be overcooked. You can extend the baking time but the top will not turn dark. You can’t change the texture of your filling if it becomes curdled. The oven temperature, or oven rack, or preheating times will need to be adjusted the next time you make it.

To Cool Basque Burnt Cheesecake

• When the cake is darkened and burnt, take it out. When you shake the pan gently, the cake should move. Allow the cheesecake to cool on the pan for about 2 hours. It should not be placed directly on the countertop. Make sure that air can pass under the cake pan. If it isn’t in use, you can place it on the stovetop.

To Chill Basque Burnt Cheesecake

• You can also skip the chilling and enjoy your cheesecake at room temperature. We like this option. You can choose to make chilled cheesecakes or firmer cheesecakes by placing the cheesecake covered with cloth (don’t put plastic on the cheesecake as it may drip onto it). Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

To Serve Basque Burnt Cheesecake

• Take the cheesecake out of the pan and carefully remove the parchment paper. Let the cheesecake cool in the pan for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.

Basque Cheesecake Recipe Variations

You can alter the recipe as you like to make Basque cheesecake creamier, sweeter, or more cheesy. You could also…

• Gluten-free version: Use a 1-to-1 blend of gluten-free flours (rice flour) in place of all-purpose flour.
• Orange zest or lemon zest can be added to the cheesecake batter.
• Add Bourbon: This recipe can also be made with bourbon. We have substituted 3 tablespoons of heavy whip for 3 tablespoons whiskey and it was delicious.
• You can bake it for longer or shorter times: I prefer the cheesecake to be still soft and creamy in the middle. However, you can bake your cheesecake for less time if the cheesecake is more firm/full-cooked. If the top is not brown enough, you can broil it briefly in the oven. The top will quickly darken if you don’t pay attention. Alternately, you can place a piece of foil on top of your cheesecake after it has finished baking.
• You can also add a topping to Basque cheesecake. Basque cheesecake is usually served plain. However, you could also use a fruit sauce, caramel sauce or chocolate sauce as a topping.

So, what is Basque Burnt Cheesecake, you ask?

Santiago Rivera, a Spanish chef who owns a restaurant called La Vina, created Basque Cheesecake (or Basque Burnt Cheesecake) in 1990. This article or this article will explain how and why this cake became so popular.

Here are some characteristics of this cheesecake, in addition to its “burnt” appearance.

• Cake Texture: The texture is creamy in the middle and firmer on the outside. It does not contain a crust, unlike American cheesecake.
• Flavor: It tastes just like a caramelized cheesecake in a single bite. It is balanced between the bitterness of the caramelized exterior and the sweetness of the creamy custardy inside.
• Difficulty – This cheesecake is the easiest I have ever made. Mr. JOC told me that this cheesecake is so easy to make, even if he’s never made it before.
• Baking: Cheesecakes are baked in half the time of regular cheesecakes. To achieve a rich, caramelized exterior, bake at a higher temperature, but the center of the cheesecake remains jiggly.
• Time to bake: Combine ingredients and bake for 30-35 mins. Let cool. It’s fast and easy

Basque Cheesecake: What to serve it with?

You could serve it with fruit sauce, caramel sauce or chocolate sauce as a topping. But my advice is nothing at all. This cheesecake does not need any syrup, fruit compote, or chocolate sauce. Nothing. It should be consumed at room temperature, and totally on its own. It will be easy to understand once you have taken your first bite.

Also, if you have some Basque cheesecake leftovers, you can use it to make this fantastic fried cheesecake bites!

Ingredients You Need for Basque Burnt Cheesecake

Tip:

• Use room temperature ingredients. This will help you achieve a perfectly baked cheesecake. You can also find a variety of online shortcuts to quickly and carefully warm cream cheese, eggs, and heavy cream.

You will find that most recipes are simple and easy to search online. These recipes all use the same ingredients with slightly different ratios depending on the baker.

• Philadelphia cream cheese
• Sugar 
• Eggs 
• Heavy whipping cream 
• Flour 

Others may add vanilla, lemon juice and salt.

Overview for the recipe: Basque Burnt Cheesecake

• Preheat the oven for 30 minutes. Bring the cream cheese, eggs and heavy cream to room temperature.
• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, one at a.
• Bake the batter in a pan for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Allow to cool to room temperature for at least 2 hours.
• Enjoy!

1. 6-7 inch Round Cake Pan

It’s a heavy dessert with 2 blocks of cream cheese per slice. This 6-7 inch round, 3-inch-deep cake pan is perfect for six people. It has a removable bottom.

• When you consider the size of each serving, a taller cake will look more elegant and beautiful.
• It is easier to maintain/control the creaminess of small cakes (flat cakes will cook too quickly).
• If you bake it for more than 6 people, we recommend baking multiple cheesecakes.
• You will need parchment paper to support the 2-inch cake pan.

Baked cheesecake will rise higher than the cake pan rim. It is essential to have a cake pan that is at least 3 inches deep.

This recipe can be used in a larger pan (8-inch or 10 inch round). It will make a shorter and more shallow cheesecake. This recipe will not yield the same rich, creamy texture.

To make a 7-inch deep round pan, you can multiply the recipe by 1.5 or 2 to make a 3-inch deep pan.

2. Parchment Paper

Not wax paper, parchment paper is required. You will need parchment paper, not wax paper. Some parchment paper is very wide (such as the one at Costco). However, most parchment paper isn’t quite wide enough. To cover the shorter side of parchment papers, you can use two sheets.

3. Silicone Spatula

This dessert can be made with a silicone spatula and a large bowl. La Vina’s original cheesecake was made using a spoon. If you don’t have one, you can use an electric mixer or a stand mixer to make the cheesecake.

Pin the image below if you like this Basque Burnt Cheesecake recipe!

Doneness: Creamy vs. Dense Basque Burnt Cheesecake

Basque Burnt Cheesecake’s unique feature is its doneness. It can be made creamy or creamy with a ‘raw’ center. Or it can have a firm texture like regular cheesecake.

After letting cool to room temperature, the texture will be creamy (left), whereas it will become firmer after cooling in the fridge (right).

For a cream texture, use:

• Bake for a normal baking time in the oven
• As the cheesecake cools, the cheesecake filling will set up to form a firm texture. It can be served at room temperature.
• Chill for 30 minutes before serving.

For a firmer texture, use:

• Bake for a longer time in the oven
• Keep it in the refrigerator for longer periods of time.
• Serve it chilled or leave it out for 10 minutes.

To get a “raw” cream texture

• Bake the cheesecake in a shorter time.
• Let cool overnight. Refrigeration is required to cut a cake perfectly.

FAQs

The top won’t burn well. So, what can you do to get your cake’s top to burn as it should?

You are not alone. I have struggled with my oven for years. These were the things that helped me:

• As I said earlier, you can use the convection oven.
• Pre-heat at a higher temperature. Preheating the oven to 550°F (290°C) for a while worked well.
• Bake at a higher heat
• As heat rises, bake at a higher oven rack. If your oven has top heating, ensure that the parchment paper does not touch the heating element/ceiling.

How to mix the batter?

• Do not overmix the batter. It is easy to accidentally whip some air into cheesecake batter when the ingredients are being mixed too fast or too long. Mix each ingredient until it is fully incorporated. Then, move on to the next step as instructed.

Can I use a larger cake pan?

• To make a 7-inch deep round pan of 3 inches, you can either multiply the recipe by 1.5 or 2 to make it 3 inches deep. The baking time will need to be increased, but I have never tried it. If you would like to make a larger serving, I recommend the 6-inch cake. You can also bake two cakes pans, as I have mentioned. Because you have multiple pans, it will take slightly longer to bake.

My cake crumbles on top. What can I do to fix this?

• I noticed that the cake batter rose higher than usual, sometimes unevenly. The batter then fell apart, creating cracks. As more air bubbles were trapped in the batter, it seemed to be inevitable. I tried taping the pan to pop the air bubbles and resting the batter before baking. This seemed to work a bit.

I have had no issues with cracking since I stopped using a spatula. Mixing/blending the ingredients is easy for me. If you have any issues with cracks, you might want to use a spatula.

How do I get a shiny, smooth surface? Mine looks bubbly.

• There were tiny bubbles in the cheesecakes I’ve baked before. Your batter must have had tiny bubbles in it before baking, or they may have risen while baking. The same process I used in the Q&A was applied.
• What gives my cheesecake its gooey, raw texture at the center?
• The cake will retain its gooey texture after it has been chilled. Next time, bake the cake for a bit longer. Your oven may not work in the same way, so I cannot give you a suggested baking time or temperature.

Sparkling Sake is a great pairing for the Cheesecake

Sparkling sake is one of our favorite celebratory drinks that we love to introduce to our friends. It is very popular in Japan and slowly becoming more popular in the USA.

Sparkling sake is a different kind of sake than traditional sake. It is sweet and fruity with a mild taste. It has a lower ABV than traditional sake (5% ABV, similar to beer).

This cheesecake is best enjoyed with sweet wine. We paired it with the Sho Chiku Bai Shirakabegura’s favorite Mio Sparkling Sake. The cheesecake’s caramel and sweet flavors were perfectly complemented by the sparkling sake’s bright notes and sweetness. As you sip this delicious drink, the tiny bubbles add just a little texture to enhance the creamy texture.

Many of our friends were surprised at how fun and delicious Mio Sparkling Sake was when we introduced it to them. Mio sparkling sake is a great choice for anyone looking to celebrate and enjoy the depth of flavor that sake offers.

Mio Sparkling Sake can be found in Asian supermarkets and wine shops. They can also be purchased from Takara Sake (21 and older only).

Are you a fan of cheesecakes? These recipes will be a hit!

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