Konbu and Fish Dashi Stock (“Awase Dashi”)
This is our home’s standard
Ingredients
(for medium-size Classic-style Donabe)
2 quarts (2 liters) water (soft water is preferred)
1/2 ounce dashi kombu (dried kelp for dashi stock)
1 ounce dried bonito flakes for dashi stock, or 1.5 ounces mixed dried fish flakes for dashi stock (my favorite kind is made by Uneno from Kyoto.)
*Above picture is mixed dried fish flakes and dashi kombu
Procedure
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1.In a bowl, soak the dashi kombu in water for 2 hours.
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2.Tarnsfer the dashi kombu and water to the donabe and heat over medium heat. (Picture A)
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3.Before the stock starts boiling, remove the dashi kombu.
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4.Wait until the stock boils, then add the dried bonito flakes all at once.
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5.Turn down the heat immediately, and wait until the bonito flakes settle in the bottom of the donabe (about 2 minutes).
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*If you use Uneno’s mixed dried fish flakes, after adding them, continue to simmer over medium-heat for 3-4 minutes before turning off the heat. Skim if necessary. (Picture B)
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6.Strain the stock through a strainer and fine mesh cloth into a bowl.
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*For the rustic style, you can strain without a cloth to leave some particles in the strained stock. (Pictures C and D)
Using high quality ingredients is the most important thing in making good dashi. Uneno’s mixed dried fish flakes, high quality bonito flakes, and dashi konbu can be found at Japanese grocery stores like Nijiya Market.
A: Dashi konbu (dried kelp) become much bigger once reconstituted. Dashi konbu is first infused with the soft water.
B: After the konbu is removed, dried fish flakes are added.
C: Dashi stock is strained into a bowl.
D: Dashi is ready. It’s ready to use.