Grilled Eel or Halibut with Sweet Cinnamon and Star Anise Glaze

Name: Grilled Eel or Halibut with Sweet Cinnamon and Star Anise Glaze
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Korea
Ingredients: ¼ cup light corn syrup, such as Karo or Steen’s; ¼ cup light corn syrup, such as Karo or Steen’s; ¼ cup light corn syrup, such as Karo or Steen’s; ⅓ cup firmly packed light brown sugar; ½ cup soy sauce; ½ cup sake; ¼ cup Asian (dark) sesame oil; 2 scallions, trimmed, white parts lightly crushed with the side of a cleaver, green parts finely chopped for garnish; 1 slice (¼ inch thick) sweet onion, or 1 more scallion; 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (see box); 2 star anise, or ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder; 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed with the side of a cleaver; 2 slices (¼ inch) fresh ginger, lightly crushed with the side of a cleaver; 2 scallions, trimmed, white parts lightly crushed with the side of a cleaver, green parts finely chopped for garnish; 2 scallions, trimmed, white parts lightly crushed with the side of a cleaver, green parts finely chopped for garnish; 1 teaspoon black peppercorns; ½ teaspoon ground sansho pepper (see Note), or ½ teaspoon ground Szechuan peppercorns and a pinch of ground coriander (optional); ½ teaspoon ground sansho pepper (see Note), or ½ teaspoon ground Szechuan peppercorns and a pinch of ground coriander (optional); ½ teaspoon ground sansho pepper (see Note), or ½ teaspoon ground Szechuan peppercorns and a pinch of ground coriander (optional); 2 star anise, or ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder; 1 piece (2 inches) cinnamon stick; 1 dried Asian hot red pepper, or ¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes; 1 dried Asian hot red pepper, or ¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes; 1½ to 2 pounds eel or halibut fillets; 1½ to 2 pounds eel or halibut fillets

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Planet Barbecue

By Steven Raichlen

Published 2010

About

Eel holds an honored place in the hearts of Asian barbecue fanatics (think Japanese anago and unagi). Koreans approach the grilling of eel with a zeal that borders on a fetish. This brings me to Ilmijung, a restaurant renowned for its barbecued eel and equally remarkable for its riverside setting and pastoral atmosphere (rare in hyper-urbanized Seoul). You can dine on a dock right on the river or in cozy rooms decorated like peasant cottages. But the star attraction here slith

Ingredients

Asia
Korea
Fish course
Pescatarian
Spicy

Ingredients

Method