Eel Claypot Rice

Crunchy is the best food texture.

“But Elanne, what about creamy? what about chewy??”

No, enough. The year 2025 is when “What about-ism” ends. Let me and my Eel Claypot rice have its moment.

I’m constantly gravitating towards meals that can supply me with my crunchy fix. Which is why I continue to make claypot rice to often.

The charred bits of rice that get stuck to the bottom of the pot MAKE the dish for me. However I am always looking for ways to pack in even more crispiness.

Pickled radish (find my recipe here!) and crispy fried shallots & onions, are superior crunch-ifying toppings.

This meal is super simple because it uses pre-made frozen eel or unagi, that you can just pop under the broiler for about 5 minutes. I’m usually all for making things yourself but this tastes great and nothing beats this type of convenience. And all that time you didn’t spent butchering your own eel, you can spend on the Eel Sauce! Or for an even lower effort meal you can use store-bought sauce! Totally up to you.

Let’s make it!

Recipe:

Serves 1-2 people

Special Equipment:

gas burner
claypot or donabe
eel sauce ladle
fine mesh strainer

Eel Sauce:

1/4 cup dashi stock
1/3 cup mirin
1/3 cup light soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar

In a small saucepan add the dashi stock, mirin, soy sauce and brown sugar. Bring it to a simmer over low heat and allow it to thicken slightly. Stirring every so often—about 5-6 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the sauce to cool.

As it cools the sauce will thicken a bit more. Note: Don’t reduce it too much or it will start to get too salty. If you want it to be thicker, you can add a cornstarch slurry! (2 tbsp water + 1/2 tbsp corn starch, add to the sauce over medium heat. Whisk to incorporate.)

Teriyaki Eel Claypot Rice:

1 cup short grain rice
1 cup warm water
1/2 package of frozen teriyaki eel

Prepare the rice by rinsing in water until the water runs clear. About 5-6 rinses. Soak the rice for 20 minutes prior to cooking.

Place a small pot (claypot or donabe) over a gas burner.

Add your drained, pre-soaked rice to the pot.

Attn: It is important not to shock your ceramic ware by changing the temperature drastically. Always start at a low flame.

Add the water and turn on the burner, adjust the flame. Bring the water to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce the flame to low. Cook the rice for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit, covered for another 10-12 minutes.

While the rice steams, prepare your eel by placing it on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

Place the tray in an oven or toaster oven, and broil for 5 minutes or until the surface starts to bubble. Careful not to let it burn.

Crispy Fried Onion & Shallots:

1/2 onion, finely diced
1 shallot, finely diced
1/4 cup neutral oil

Finely dice your onion and shallots. Add them to a saucepan with 1/4 cup of neutral oil and place it over medium heat. We want to bring the temperature up with the onions and shallots already in the oil to reduce the chances of them burning (like if we were to add them to super hot oil!)

Fry the onions and shallots, swirling the pan to evenly brown them. This will take 6-7 minutes.
Once they turn a nice golden brown, remove the pan from the heat and pour the oil through a strainer to catch the fried bits!

You can save the oil to use later!

Place the fried bits on a piece of paper towel and let them dry.

To serve:

1 tbsp shallot oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced
60g diced pickled radish (Takuan/Danmuji)
2 tbsp fried onion/shallots
1 tbsp furikake or sesame seeds
2-3 tbsp Eel Sauce
1 portion Teriyaki Eel

Before serving, place the claypot with the cooked rice back over the gas burner. Adjust the fame to low. With the lid on, drizzle the shallot oil (you hopefully saved from before!) around the lip/perimeter of the lid. The oil will drip down the insides of the pot and into the rice. This helps to achieve a crispier & tastier bottom.

Let the rice toast for 3-4 mins and then remove from the heat and place on a trivet.