Dashi
Ingredients
- 4 cups cold water
- 1 ounce dried kelp (kombu - available in specialty and gourmet shops)
- 1 ounce dried bonito flakes (hana katsuo bushi - available in specialty and gourmet shops)
Preparation
Combine 4 cups of cold water and the kelp in a medium pot. Heat the water over medium heat until it is very hot but not simmering. (Do not allow the mixture to simmer or the kombu flavor will be too strong.)
Remove the pot from the heat. Sprinkle the bonito flakes over the kelp water and let steep until the bonito flakes settle at the bottom of the pot, about 3 minutes.
Set a sieve over a large saucepan. Line the sieve with cheesecloth, allowing the cheesecloth to hang over the sides of the sieve. Pour the dashi through the cloth-lined sieve and into the saucepan below. The broth will be pale yellow and aromatic. Gather the edges of the cheesecloth together, but do not squeeze, and allow the dashi to drain into the saucepan.
Discard the bonito flakes and cheesecloth.
