Japanese Unadon Recipe
Unadon is thought to be the earliest form of donburi rice dish, created during the late Edo period in the Bunka era (1804–1818). It is attributed to Imasuke Ōkubo of Sakai-machi, who is credited with its invention.Today, unadon is widely enjoyed not only in Japan but also in places like Taiwan and the United States.
Ingredients
- Frozen grilled eel fillet – 1 pack
- Cooking sake – 2 tbsp
- Cooked rice (hot) – 200g
Unadon Tare (Sauce)
- Cooking sake – 1 tbsp
- Mirin – 2 tbsp
- Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
- Sugar – 1½ tbsp
Topping (optional)
- Sanshō powder
Instructions
For Unadon Tare:
- In a small saucepan, bring the cooking's sake and mirin to a boil.
- After about a minute, add the remaining ingredients and, if using, the head or tail of the eel to the pan.
- As soon as it begins to boil again, lower the heat and allow the sauce to cook until it thickens. One way to ensure that the sauce is cooked is by noticing the bubbles on the surface becoming bigger and the sauce being reduced to almost half the volume.
- Take the pan off the heat. By the time the sauce cools down completely, it will have thickened further.
Warming Up the Grilled Eel Fillet
- Make sure to cut the head off (if your grilled eel comes with one) and add it to your unadon tare.
- The next step is to halve the fillet. It will allow you to have both the front and the back half of the fillet.
- Now, transfer the fillets to a non-stick frying pan, avoiding overlapping. Keep in mind to place them skin-side down and add 1 tablespoon of cooking's sake on top of the fish.
- Reduce the heat to low and let the fillets steam cook for about 1 minute with a lid on.
- After a minute, turn the fillet over, allowing the other side to cook. If you feel there is less liquid in the pan, add the remaining sake and cook it for another minute.
- Turn the fillet over again before taking the pan off of the heat.
To Serve
- Begin by placing the rice in the bottom of a serving bowl. Level the surface.
- With the help of a basting brush, baste the rice surface with the tare.
- Add the eel fillets on top of the rice, skin side down. Add the remaining sauce.
- Finally, sprinkle a little bit of sanshō on top and serve hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 558kcalCarbohydrates: 95gProtein: 15gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 1891mgFiber: 1gSugar: 34g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!