How to Make Hitsumabushi (Grilled Eel Recipe)

Though eel may be instantly associated with Hamana-ko Lake, Shizuoka Prefecture, its top production area is actually Aichi Prefecture. Eel is slit open along the belly and grilled whole without steaming - that's the Nagoya style of cooking eel. Hitsumabushi is a local eel dish, which is said to have originated at the end of Meiji Era as waitresses dished up each serving of chopped grilled eel on rice from a large wooden tub for keeping cooked rice (o-hitsu) into individual bowls of customers in a tatami-mat room. The eating procedure is also unique. To begin with, the whole eel dish is divided into four portions. You put the first portion into your bowl and enjoy as it is; then you put the second helping in and put on some condiments (wasabi horseradish, nori dried laver, mitsuba trefoil, etc.) to your taste. The basic spice combination is chopped green onions, grated wasabi, and nori seaweed sheet cut into pieces, which go well with grilled eel. Enjoy the changes in tastes. Then you have the third portion in the same manner as the second portion plus green tea or broth poured over it, like o-chazuke soup with rice. And, finally, you can enjoy the remaining portion repeating one of the three methods you liked best!

Ingredients for Hitsumabushi (serves 2)
1 Unagi Kabayaki - Frozen Roasted Eel
Sake

- Unagi Sauce -
2 tbsp Mirin
1 tbsp Sake
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
⅔~1 tbsp Honey

- Dashi Stock -
400ml Hot Water (1.69 u.s. cup)
2 pieces of Kombu Kelp (3x3cm / 1x1 inch)
4g Katsuobushi Shavings - Bonito Flakes (0.141 oz)
⅓ tsp Salt
1 tbsp Sake
A few drops of Usukuchi Soy Sauce (saltier and lighter in color than koikuchi)

- Seasonings -
Sansho Pepper Powder
Crumbled Toasted Nori Seaweed
Spring Onions
Wasabi Paste

400g Fresh Steamed Rice (14.1 oz)