Unagi Chazuke (Hitsumabushi)

1. Gather all the ingredients. For the steamed rice, please note that 1½ cups (300 g, 2 rice cooker cups) of uncooked Japanese short-grain rice yield 4⅓ cups (660 g) of cooked rice, enough for 2 donburi servings (3⅓ cups, 500 g). See how to cook short-grain rice with a rice cooker, pot over the stove, Instant Pot, or donabe.

To Make the Broth

1. In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) and 2 tsp kobucha (kombucha).
2. Heat the broth over medium heat and whisk well. Taste the broth and adjust with more konbucha or salt if necessary.

To Prepare the Unagi

1. Cut 1 fillet unagi (freshwater eel) fillet in half (or maybe thirds) to fit inside your serving bowls.
2. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the unagi on top. WITHOUT preheating, put the baking sheet in the middle rack of your oven, and broil on high for 7 minutes (no need to flip).
3. After 7 minutes or so, take it out and brush some of the 2–3 Tbsp unagi (eel) sauce over the fillets. Broil for another 30 to 60 seconds until you see bubbles on top of the unagi.

To Serve

1. Cut 1 sprig mitsuba (Japanese parsley) and 1 green onion/scallion into small pieces.
2. Serve 2 servings cooked Japanese short-grain rice in individual donburi (large) bowls. Brush some unagi sauce on the rice. Place the broiled unagi on top. Optionally, you can cut the unagi into 1-inch pieces (easier to eat with chopsticks). Pour or brush more unagi sauce on the eel, if you‘d like.
3. Right before you serve, pour the broth over the unagi and garnish with the chopped green onions, mitsuba, and 1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds. You can sprinkle with Japanese sansho pepper to add a peppery, citrus flavor. Enjoy!