Dashi
Kombu and bonito broth, ready in twenty minutes
The fastest good stock there is, and the foundation of Japanese cooking the way brown stock is of French. Twenty minutes, two ingredients, and no simmering at all.
Never boil the kombu. It turns the broth slimy and bitter, and that is the only way to get this wrong.
Ingredients
- 1 quart cold water
- 1 piece kombu, about 4 inches square
- 1 packed cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
Instructions
- Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth but do not wash off the white powder on its surface — that is glutamate, and it is what you are here for.
- Put the kombu in the cold water and leave to steep for 20 minutes, or several hours in the fridge if you have time.
- Heat slowly until small bubbles form at the edge of the pan and it is just about to simmer, around 140 to 175°F. Remove the kombu immediately.
- Bring to a brief boil, add the bonito flakes, and turn the heat off at once.
- Let the flakes sink, about 2 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve without pressing.
- Use the same day.
Notes
- This is ichiban dashi, the first extraction, for clear soups and delicate dishes.
- Simmer the used kombu and flakes in fresh water for 10 minutes for niban dashi, the second extraction, which is fine for miso soup and braises.
- Kombu alone gives a vegetarian dashi.