SUNDAY, JANUARY 31, 2010
basic katsuobushi and konbu dashi
As olive oil is indispensable for Italian cuisine, so is dashi for Japanese cuisine. Dashi is the basic and multi-purpose broth used for soup, stew, braising or cooking meat, fish, vegetables...almost everything. The most representative is the dashi made of katsuobushi (shaved dried bonito), andkonbu (kelp). Not like broth of other cuisines, Japanese dashi does not require a long cooking time or simmering, and can be made quickly and easily. Freshly made dashi tastes really good with the wonderful savory flavor ofumami.
Here is how to make basic katsuobushi and konbu dashi:
Water 4 cups
dried konbu 5" x 5"
shaved katsuobushi 0.35 oz (10 g)
Put water and konbu in a pot over moderate heat. It is not necessary to washkonbu before cooking. Surface white powder, if any, is the essence of umami, so please do not remove it. Do not boil. When the water starts to boil andkonbu expands, add katsuobushi, and turn off the heat. Leave it for a minute and drain.
Simple, isn't it? Please give it a try and taste real umami from natural ingredients. Dashi taken this way is called "primary dashi" good for soup with/without miso. The drained katsuobushi and konbu is too good to throw away. Use it to take the second dashi. Just add the same amount of water to the drained katsuobushi and konbu and cook. When it starts to boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain to take the "second dashi" which can be used for soup or other cooking.Beside katsuobushi, other fish are used for dashi as well, either dried or raw. Surrounded by the sea, Japan has diverse resources of fish and kelp and each local area has something special of their own.
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