Dashi is a stock that forms the cornerstone of Japanese cooking – and it’s one of the easiest stocks to make. You can save time by buying instant dashi granules or concentrate, but these don’t give the same delicate flavour as freshly made dashi … so if you have time it is worth making your own.
Ingredients:
1.125 litres water
15cm strip konbu
1 cup bonito flakes
Method:
Wipe konbu with a damp cloth and cut into 6 pieces. Place in a saucepan with water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and discard konbu.
Scatter bonito flakes over the top of the water, place over a low heat and return to almost boiling. Just before it boils, remove from heat and set aside until bonito flakes sink.
Pour through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan.