Steam the eggplant

• Steam the eggplant until tender.

Make the unagi sauce

• Combine the water, mirin, soy sauce, brown sugar and dashi in a saucepan.
• Let it simmer until slightly thickened.

Butterfly and score the eggplant

• Slice the steamed eggplant down the middle and open it up like a book.
• Make two more vertical cuts and score horizontally so it spreads out flat.

Sear and glaze

• Sear the eggplant in a hot pan to give it colour.
• Baste with the sauce to build a beautiful glaze.

Slice the unagi

• Slice the glazed eggplant diagonally into fancy pieces.

Chill the rice

• Cook the rice and pack it into a sheet tray.
• Let it chill overnight so it firms up.

Fry the crispy rice

• Cut out a medallion of rice with a cookie cutter.
• Fry it in hot oil until nice and crispy.

Prepare the salmon

• Skin the salmon and cut it into small cubes.
• Simmer the salmon in dashi, soy sauce and mirin.

Season the salmon

• Toss the salmon with sesame oil and seaweed.

Assemble and garnish

• Lay the crispy rice down and stack the salmon on top.
• Garnish with green onions and serve with the unagi.