Weeknight
Dashi
The light seaweed and fish stock that sits underneath almost all of Japanese cooking.
Indispensable. Once you have made dashi from scratch, the powdered version tastes like a rumour of the real thing.
Method
- 01
Put the kombu in the cold water and leave it to soak for 30 minutes if you have the time.
- 02
Heat slowly to just below a simmer — small bubbles at the edge, about 60–70°C. Never let kombu boil; it goes slimy and bitter.
- 03
Lift the kombu out just before boiling point.
- 04
Bring the water to a brief boil, take it off the heat and scatter in the bonito flakes.
- 05
Let them sink for 2 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve lined with muslin. Do not squeeze the flakes — press and you get cloudy, fishy stock.
- 06
Use within two days, or freeze in portions.
Keep cooking
