Anago don

Method

1. 1 Rub the eel with salt and flour, then rinse it several times to remove the slime.
2. 2 Simmer eel bones and heads with soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar for 25 minutes to make tare sauce.
3. 3 Simmer the tare until it reduces by half, allowing the sauce to thicken; a thin sauce will drain completely to the bottom of the rice bowl.
4. 4 Grill the eel skin-side down for 5 minutes, then flip and brush with tare sauce three times for 8 minutes.
5. 5 Sea eels have softer flesh than freshwater eels, so grill them gently and don't flip them too often.
6. 6 Arrange the eel on top of the rice in a bowl, pour in the tare sauce, then sprinkle with shredded ginger, green onions, and Sichuan peppercorns.

With an appliance

• Oven 45 min

  Replace step 4: bake in the oven at 220 degrees for 12 minutes, brush with tare twice; if there is not enough charcoal flavor, increase the amount of star anise when serving.