This is not as hard to make as you would think since many Asian grocery stores have pre-cooked eel in the frozen food section. It is actually a really useful ingredient and one that I keep on hand in my freezer. It defrosts quickly for emergencies and is quite versatile.
Served over rice it makes a quick lunch or snack for a teenage boy. It also tastes great as an omelet stuffing with a bit of sour cream; maybe even some chopped pickled ginger. One of the best nibbles I have ever made was of tiny, crisp fried mashed potato cakes with lashings of wasabi cream, topped with chunks of BBQ Japanese eel and dusted with powdered bacon. You can also just mash it up with a bit of chopped onion, capers and pickles and a squeeze of lemon juice to make eel rillettes to serve with toasts to accompany drinks made for unexpected guests.
And then there is this pasta dish which I thought about for a while before cooking. Originally I envisioned a soupy noodle dish, reminiscent of ramen, with an eel sauce based broth and full of vegetables, topped with the eel. Somehow this didn't feel right and it morphed into a dish of thin angel hair, tossed with olive oil, BBQ eel and furikake flavored crispy breadcrumbs. For those of you who don't know, furikake is a topping for rice made out of dried seaweed. Also an incredibly versatile ingredient and one to pick up while buying your eel. My favorites are the tamago furikake and the shiso furikake.
1 lb angel hair pasta
2 packages BBQ eel, equivalent to 4 fillets
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup panko
2 Tbsps furikake
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
Boil a pot of salted water for your pasta.
While it is coming to a boil, open the packages of eel, peel off the thick skin and cut or break the fillets into bite sized pieces.
Melt the tablespoon of butter in a skillet over low heat. As soon as it is melted, add the breadcrumbs and stir to mix into the butter, Cook for a few minutes, until the bread crumbs are golden brown and toasted. Stir in the furikake and set aside off the heat.
Cook the angel hair according to the directions on the package. Drain, retaining 2 tablespoons of the pasta water first.
Lower the heat, return the pasta to the pan and add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the pasta water, the hot pepper flakes and the pieces of eel. Using kitchen tongs, toss well to combine.
Adjust for seasoning, add more salt or pepper flakes as needed. Quickly toss in the seasoned breadcrumbs and serve the pasta at once before the bread crumbs lose their crunch.