Teriyaki Unagi (freshwater Eel) Dashi Chazuke Recipe

Prepare kombu dashi

Wipe the konbu gently with a damp cloth (do not wash). Place konbu and 4 cups cold water in a medium saucepan and let steep for 20 minutes (or refrigerate up to 2 hours for deeper flavor).

After steeping, set heat over medium. Just before the water comes to a simmer (small bubbles at edges), remove the konbu. Do not boil with konbu in the pot or it becomes bitter.

Once konbu is removed, bring to a rolling simmer, then immediately turn off heat and add bonito flakes. Let the bonito steep in the hot water for 3 minutes.

Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot or bowl, pressing gently on the bonito to extract liquid. Return the strained dashi to a clean saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Season the warm dashi with light soy sauce, mirin, sake, and salt. Taste and adjust — the broth should be savory, slightly sweet, and delicate. Keep the broth hot but not boiling while you prepare the rest.

If your unagi is vacuum-packed, remove and pat dry with paper towel. If pre-grilled (common for store-bought unagi), you can warm and glaze it. If raw or pre-cleaned, ensure it is cooked thoroughly before serving (this recipe assumes pre-grilled or fully cooked eel).

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp neutral oil. Place the eel skin-side down briefly to crisp the skin for 30–45 seconds, then flip and warm the flesh for another 30–45 seconds.

Brush or pour the unagi tare/teriyaki sauce over the flesh side, then lower heat to medium-low. Glaze the eel for 1–2 minutes, spooning sauce over the top until a shiny, sticky glaze forms. If you like a deeper caramelization, briefly place under a broiler for 1–2 minutes while watching carefully (use an oven-safe tray).

Remove the eel and let rest for 1 minute, then slice into 1/2-inch wide pieces suitable for placing over rice.

Divide the hot cooked short-grain rice among 3–4 bowls (this recipe yields about 3–4 servings depending on portion size). Make a shallow well in the center of each rice bowl.

Arrange sliced glazed unagi on top of each rice portion, fanning pieces slightly so some rice remains exposed for pouring broth.

Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and shredded nori over the eel and rice. Add thinly sliced scallions and chopped umeboshi (if using) for a savory-sour pop.

Place a small dab of wasabi at the side of each bowl (optional) and scatter shiso and a light dusting of yuzu/lemon zest over the top. If using scorched sesame oil, drizzle a drop or two across each bowl for aroma — very little is needed.

Ladle the hot seasoned dashi into each bowl gently over the rice and unagi, pouring to just cover the exposed rice and come up around the eel (about 3/4 to 1 cup per bowl depending on how soupy you want it). The broth should warm everything through without making the rice soggy immediately.

Serve immediately with extra tare or soy at the table. Eat with chopsticks or a spoon — scoop some eel and rice, and sip broth between bites.

Leftover broth can be refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat gently; do not boil.