Unadon with Miso Soup Recipe

Unadon, or eel over rice, is a deliciously sweet special dish. In Japan, unagi (eel) is a kind of delicacy served in the summer. Though it’s not served ceremonially, the dish can get expensive. Luckily for us, eel is a bit more plentiful abroad, and can be found frozen in Japanese grocery stores. First-timers, please eat carefully. These are bony animals! The meat is worth the work, though: tender, sweet, and flaky. Served with unagi sauce? The umami-sweet is strong. Tradition says that the dish will fortify the diner, as well. Step out of your comfort zone and give it a go! It’s actually pretty easy to make a full Japanese lunch of it.

First, let’s gather our ingredients:

For two-three servings:

• 5 cups of rice

• 1 cut of eel (usually refrigerated/ frozen)
• Eel sauce

• 1 packet of wakame instant miso per person

• Green tea for all!

1. As always, start with the rice!
2. Rinse several times until the water is clear.
3. Soak for 30 minutes, then hit “go!” on your rice cooker.
4. Thaw and cook your eel according to the instructions on the package! It’ll be quick.
5. While the eel is cooking, prep your instant miso. We love how the wakame comes to life!
6. Release seasoning and miso packets into bowl
7. Pour boiling-hot water and stir ^_^
8. Slice eel when it’s finished, and place atop a bowl of freshly-cooked rice.
9. Get your eel sauce and go to town!
10. Eat while it’s all still hot.
11. (Except perhaps the green tea. We had ours nice and cold.)

Savor this summertime treat of a meal. Itadakimasu!

By Emi Noguchi