This main component of Japanese cooking is used to cook vegetables and make soups, and it is the base of many sauces as well. Without it, the overall taste of Japanese cuisine cannot be fully appreciated. The konbu and bonito can be reserved to make a second stock called niban dashi that has a more subtle flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 gal Water
- 4 oz Konbu
- ΒΌ cup Katsuo-Bushi
How to Make It
- Place the konbu and water in an appropriately sized pot, and set aside for 1 hour.
- Place the pot over a medium-high flame and heat mixture just to a boil. Remove the pot from heat once it has reached a boil. Remove the konbu, reserving it to use in a second dashi. (If you are not making a second dashi, leave the konbu in the pot until the end.)
- Add the katsuo-bushi to the pot, and set the pot aside for 45 minutes (without stirring).
- Strain off the resulting broth, saving the katsuo-bushi for the second dashi (if you are making it); the dashi is ready for use.