Name: Mock Eel Rice Bowl (Jaga-Unagi Don)
Cuisine: 和食
Ingredients: 2 potatoes (200g); 1 sheet hanpen fish cake (100g); 2 tbsp potato starch; 2 tbsp water; 1 sheet nori seaweed; 3 tbsp sake; 3 tbsp mirin; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp sugar; Oil, to taste; Cooked rice, to taste; Shiso leaves, optional

About "Mock Eel Rice Bowl (Jaga-Unagi Don)"

This budget-friendly rice bowl recipe features a potato and hanpen (fish cake) paste spread onto nori seaweed, scored to mimic the texture of real eel. Costing only about 100 yen per serving, the savory seafood flavor of the hanpen and the chewy texture of the potato create a surprisingly realistic mock eel. Coated in a sweet and savory glaze made of sake, mirin, soy sauce, and sugar, and optionally torched with a blowtorch for a smoky finish, this dish delivers an authentic taste. It is a quick, easy, and family-friendly recipe perfect for Midsummer Day of the Ox (Doyo no Ushi no Hi).

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Tips for Making "Mock Eel Rice Bowl (Jaga-Unagi Don)"

Prep
- Mashing the potatoes thoroughly while hot until completely smooth creates a fluffy texture.
Prep
- Mash the hanpen fish cake completely and mix it uniformly with the potatoes.
Adjusting Paste
- Adjust the water amount gradually, as the moisture content of the potatoes can affect the paste's consistency.
Shaping
- Cut the nori seaweed crosswise into 3 equal strips and spread the paste evenly over them.
Shaping
- Score a vertical line down the center and diagonal lines at 2-3 cm intervals with a skewer to recreate a realistic eel texture.
Heat Control
- Brown the paste-side first over medium heat, then flip, reduce to medium-low, cover, and steam-cook for 2 minutes.
Seasoning
- Simmer the glaze ingredients in the empty pan to burn off the alcohol and thicken before tossing the mock eel back in.
Finishing
- Torch the surface with a kitchen blowtorch to add a smoky, charcoal-grilled aroma and flavor.
Plating
- Drizzle the rich glaze over the rice and optionally lay shiso leaves down before placing the mock eel.

Ingredients for "Mock Eel Rice Bowl (Jaga-Unagi Don)"

12 items

* Tap ingredient names to find on Amazon

2potatoes (200g)
1sheet hanpen fish cake (100g)
2tbsp potato starch
2tbsp water
1sheet nori seaweed
3tbsp sake
3tbsp mirin
2tbsp soy sauce
2tbsp sugar
Oil,to taste
Cookedrice, to taste
Shisoleaves, optional

How to Make "Mock Eel Rice Bowl (Jaga-Unagi Don)"

1
Peel 2 potatoes (200g) with a vegetable peeler, remove any eyes, cut them into about 8 pieces, and place them in a microwave-safe bowl.
2
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave at 600W for 4 minutes.
3
After heating, remove the plastic wrap and mash the potatoes with a fork or potato masher while still hot until completely smooth.
4
Add 1 sheet of hanpen fish cake (100g) to the bowl and mash it with a fork, mixing it thoroughly with the potatoes until uniform.
5
Add 2 tbsp potato starch and 2 tbsp water, then knead well (adjust the water if the paste is too soft).
6
Cut 1 sheet of nori seaweed crosswise into 3 equal strips.
7
Lay the cut nori strips on a flat surface, divide the paste into 3 equal portions, and spread it evenly to the edges of each nori strip.
8
Using a bamboo skewer or toothpick, score a vertical line down the center of the paste, then score diagonal lines at 2-3 cm intervals to mimic the texture of eel.
9
Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan over medium heat and place the pieces in the pan, paste-side down.
10
Cook until nicely browned, then flip. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and steam-cook for 2 minutes to cook through.
11
Once cooked, transfer them to a tray.
12
In the empty frying pan, add 3 tbsp sake, 3 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tbsp sugar. Cook while stirring to burn off the alcohol and simmer until thickened into a glaze.
13
Return the cooked mock eel to the pan and gently coat them with the glaze.
14
Once glazed, transfer them back to the tray and optionally torch the surface with a kitchen blowtorch to create a smoky char.
15
Cut into bite-sized pieces with a knife.
16
Fill a bowl with cooked rice and drizzle the remaining glaze from the pan over the rice.
17
If desired, place shiso leaves on top of the rice, arrange the sliced mock eel on top, and serve.

Detailed Commentary on "Mock Eel Rice Bowl (Jaga-Unagi Don)"

* Content organized by topics from the video.

Budget Recipe for Midsummer Day of the Ox

Hello everyone, I'm Katchan! In this video, I'm sharing an easy recipe perfect for the Midsummer Day of the Ox (Doyo no Ushi no Hi) on July 26th. While real eel is expensive and hard to justify on a budget, this 'Mock Eel Rice Bowl' (Jaga-Unagi Don) is incredibly wallet-friendly at only about 100 yen per serving. The main ingredients are just potatoes and hanpen fish cake, both of which are very cheap at the supermarket. Combining them recreates the look and taste of real eel. As someone who loves eel sauce so much I could eat rice with just the sauce, I'll guide you through the tips and tricks to make this satisfying, budget-friendly mock eel bowl easily at home.

Microwaving and Mashing the Potatoes

We'll start by preparing the potato base. Use 2 potatoes (about 200g). Peel them carefully with a vegetable peeler and make sure to remove any eyes. Cut them into about 8 pieces so they cook quickly, then transfer them to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave at 600W for 4 minutes. Once done, remove the wrap and immediately mash them with a fork or potato masher while they are still hot until completely smooth. Mashing them thoroughly at this stage is key to achieving the soft, tender texture characteristic of real eel.

Adding Hanpen for a Fluffy Paste

Once the potatoes are smooth, add 1 sheet of hanpen fish cake (100g) to the bowl. Hanpen adds a savory seafood flavor and a fluffy texture similar to eel. Mash the hanpen with a fork, mixing it thoroughly with the potatoes until the mixture is completely uniform. Next, add 2 tbsp potato starch and 2 tbsp water as binders, and knead the mixture well. Since the moisture content of potatoes can vary, the stiffness of the paste may differ. If it feels too stiff, add a little more water gradually to adjust the consistency.

Shaping and Scoring the Mock Eel

Once the paste is ready, prepare 1 sheet of nori seaweed, which will act as the eel skin. Cut the nori crosswise into 3 equal strips. Lay the strips on a flat surface, divide the potato-hanpen paste into 3 equal portions, and spread it evenly to the edges of each nori strip. Now comes the most important step to make it look like real eel: use a sharp tool like a bamboo skewer or toothpick to score a vertical line down the center of the paste, then make diagonal scores at 2-3 cm intervals on both sides. This scoring creates a realistic texture that looks just like real eel once cooked.

Pan-Frying and Glazing with Special Sauce

After shaping, heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place the mock eel pieces in the pan, paste-side down. Cook until they are beautifully browned, then flip them over. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid, and steam-cook for 2 minutes to ensure they are cooked through. Once cooked, transfer them to a tray. Next, make the special glaze in the empty pan. Add 3 tbsp sake, 3 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tbsp sugar. Cook while stirring to burn off the alcohol and simmer until the sauce thickens. Return the mock eel to the pan and gently coat them with the glaze.

Torching and Plating the Dish

Once the mock eel is well-coated in the glaze, transfer it back to the tray. While it's delicious as is, I highly recommend lightly torching the surface if you have a kitchen blowtorch. Torching creates a smoky, charred finish that mimics the charcoal-grilled aroma of professional eel restaurants, instantly elevating the flavor. After torching, cut it into bite-sized pieces. Fill a bowl with freshly cooked rice and drizzle the rich glaze remaining in the pan over it. If you like, place shiso leaves on the rice, arrange the sliced mock eel on top, and your beautiful Mock Eel Rice Bowl is ready to serve.

Tasting the Realistic Texture and Flavor

With the completed bowl in front of me, I toast with a cold glass of barley tea! Taking the first bite, I can't help but laugh and say, 'It's mock eel... but it's potato!' The combination of potato and hanpen works beautifully—the seafood flavor of the hanpen and the chewy, tender texture of the potato mimic real eel surprisingly well. The nori acts perfectly as the skin, and the scored lines help the glaze cling to the surface for a flawless look. The smoky aroma from the torching also enhances the authentic taste. This budget-friendly recipe is highly satisfying and perfect for those who don't like real eel or for young children. At the end, I wrapped up the video holding my beloved dog and doing an eel pose!

About kattyanneru/かっちゃんねる

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