This is basically the same food as the Unadon recipe that I posted more than a year ago. What is so unique about Hitsumabushi is the way you eat and enjoy the grilled eel. I included how to eat Hitsumabushi in the last section of the instructions. See the video.
Don't forget to see the section 'MEAL IDEAS' below the recipe card! It gives you a list of dishes that I have already posted and this recipe that can make up a complete meal. I hope it is of help to you.
- 1 pack frozen grilled eel fillet (150-200g/5.3-7.1oz, note 1)
- 1 tbsp sake
- 150-200g/5.3-7.1oz cooked rice (hot)
- 1 tbsp cooking sake
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1½ tbsp sugar
- 200ml dashi stock (note 2)
- A pinch salt
- 1/3 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp green onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp kizami nori
- Wasabi
- Sanshō (or Sichuan pepper)
- Roasted white sesame seeds
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Put all the Dashi Broth ingredients in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil.
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Transfer the broth to a tea pot or a sauce server.
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Follow the instructions of the recipe, Unadon (Grilled Eel on Rice) to warm up the eel.
Alternatively as seen in the video, wrap the eel in 2 layers of aluminium foil and heat it in the oven at 200°C/392°F for 5-10 minutes.
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Follow the instructions of the recipe, Unadon (Grilled Eel on Rice) to make Tare.
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Slice the eel fillet into about 1.5cm/⅝" wide strips.
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Put rice in a serving bowl, levelling the surface.
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Sprinkle about the 1/2 of the tare over the rice.
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Place the eel strips covering the entire surface of the rice, then sprinkle the remaining tare over the eel.
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Serve the eel on rice with Dashi Broth and condiments. You will also need a single-serve rice bowl and a small rice spatula or a spoon.
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Divide the contents in the bowl into 4 equal portions by drawing a vertical and horizontal line with a small rice spatula or a spoon.
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Transfer one quarter to the rice bowl and eat it just like Unadon. You may sprinkle sansho on the eel.
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Transfer the second quarter to the rice bowl. Put condiments on top of it, mix and eat it. You can experience a different flavour with condiments.
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Transfer the 3rd quarter to the rice bowl. Pour the Dashi Broth over it and eat it just like Ochazuke.
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Transfer the last quarter to the rice bowl and eat it in the way you liked best.
1. I bought a slightly larger fillet than the one I used for Unadon. This is because the grilled eel pieces should be completely covering the surface of the rice. If you have a smaller eel, use a bowl with a small surface area.
Some frozen grilled eel packs come with a lot of thick sauce all over the eel fillet. I wipe it off before using it since my tare is home made and tastier.
2. I recommend using ichiban dashi for this. Please see the post Home Style Japanese Dashi Stock for how to make ichiban dashi. It needs a good dashi flavour to counter the strong taste of the grilled eel.
Instead of dashi broth, you can use green tea, which is the simplest version of Ochazuke.
3. You don’t need to have all of them. A typical combination of the condiments is chopped green onions, kizami nori, and wasabi.
4. Nutrition information: Please refer to Unadon recipe.