Dashi Stock Food

DASHI STOCK (KONBUDASHI)

Steps:

• Wipe away any dirt from the kombu with a paper towel, being careful not to rub off the white powdery deposits on the seaweed. Place the kombu and water in a saucepan, and allow it to soak for 30 minutes to become soft.
• Remove the kombu from the water, and cut several lengthwise slits into the leaf. Return the kombu to the water, and bring it to a boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, remove the kombu to prevent the stock from becoming bitter.
• Stir the bonito flakes into the kombu-flavored water, bring back to a boil, and take the pan off the heat. Allow the water to cool. When the bonito flakes have settled to the bottom, strain the dashi through a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter.

HOME STYLE JAPANESE DASHI STOCK

Steps:

• Gently wipe any dust off konbu if necessary using dry towel or paper towel. Do not wash or remove white powder stuck on the surface of konbu by scraping it off as it is the umami (旨味).
• Add the water in a pot and soak the konbu for about 30 minutes if you have time. If you don't have time, don't worry.
• Place the pot over medium heat. When small bubbles start appearing in the pot, reduce heat to minimum and cook for about 10 minutes.
• Add katsuobushi and turn the heat up to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes.
• Turn the heat off and wait until katsuobushi sinks to the bottom of the pan.
• Line a few layers of muslin or a paper towel over in a sieve and pour all the contents in the pan to into the sieve. Let it drain naturally, lightly squeezing the katsuobushi (Note 1).

DASHI

Steps:

• Put the kombu in a 4-quart saucepan, cover with the water and soak for 30 minutes.
• Set the saucepan over medium heat until the water reaches 150 to 160 degrees F and small bubbles appear around the sides of the pan, 9 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the kombu from the pan. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the bonito flakes. Simmer gently, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
• Strain the liquid through a fine mesh strainer lined with muslin or several layers of cheesecloth. Reserve the bonito flakes for another use.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 1 week or freeze for up to a month.

DASHI

Steps:

• Wipe konbu with a damp cloth to clean.
• In a stock pot, place konbu and cold water over medium heat. Just before the water begins to boil (DO NOT BOIL!) pull off heatand let stand 5 minutes.
• Remove konbu, and bring back to heat. Again, right before stock begins to boil, remove from heat and add the bonito flakes. When flakes sink to the bottom, strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. Dashi can hold in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

DASHI STOCK

Steps:

• wipe konbu with a damp cloth then place in a saucepan with 3 cups water & soak for about 1 hour.
• heat uncovered over medium heat for about 10 minuites removing konbu just before the boiling point so that it retains flavor.
• if the thickest part of the konbu is still hard return to the pan a few more minuites adding a little water to prevent boiling,reserve the konbu.
• add 1 oz. of the dried bonito flakes to the pan & bring to a boil(don't stir)& immediately remove from the heat.
• using a tablespoon or ladle remove the foam from the surface & let stand a few minuites until the dried bonito flakes settles down to the bottom of the pan.
• strain the liquid lined with muslin & reserve the bonito flakes.
• this is good for clear soups.

DASHI

Steps:

• Put the water, dashima, shiitake mushrooms, and anchovies in a covered stockpot or other large pot and let stand at room temperature overnight, or for 8 to 12 hours.
• Remove the lid, set the pot over high heat, and heat until the surface of the water begins to ripple; pay attention, and do not let it come to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer (the ideal temperature is a few degrees below a light boil) and simmer for 80 to 90 minutes. Taste the dashi every 20 minutes to monitor the changes in flavor and texture. You will notice the texture becoming softer. I describe it as having a slippery, slightly viscous texture compared to tap water. The sea flavor will become stronger, and the dashi will become darker, like pale Earl Grey tea. The sweetness will take a while to appear, but when it does, the dashi is almost ready. When you can taste the sweetness and deep sea flavors, and the dashi has a very soft texture, it is done. Be vigilant, because dashi will become bitter if cooked too long.
• Strain the dashi into a covered container and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. After 24 hours, the dashi will begin to lose some of its flavor and it will turn slightly flat.
• Cooks' Notes
• It's best to use dashi the same day you make it, though if you keep it refrigerated, you can use it for another day or two. By the third day, it will no longer taste fresh.
• Vegetarians can make a dashi from just dashima and dried shiitakes.

DASHI (JAPANESE SEA STOCK)

Steps:

• Bring cold water and kombu just to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat and remove kombu (saving it for pickled Napa cabbage ). Sprinkle katsuo bushi over liquid; let stand 3 minutes and, if necessary, stir to make katsuo bushi sink. Pour through a cheesecloth-lined sieve or a coffee filter into a bowl. Reserve katsuo bushi for rice with soy-glazed bonito flakes and sesame seeds .

DASHI (JAPANESE STOCK)

Steps:

• Put the water into the pot.
• Dampen a cloth or paper towel, wring it out, and use it to gently pat the surface of the piece of kelp- do not wipe it hard, just remove surface dust; some of the white powder clinging to it is clean pleasant flavor from the ocean.
• Put the kelp into the pot.
• Heat the water, and when you can tell it is about to boil, but before it does, remove the kelp.
• Add the bonito flakes and let the water come to a full boil.
• As soon as the water starts to boil, turn off the heat.
• Let the bonito flakes start to settle to the bottom of the saucepan.
• You can strain the soup as soon as the flakes start to settle- 30 seconds to 1 minute, or, for a stronger flavor (which you may or may not want depending on what you are making) you can leave them in a few minutes longer- some of the recipes I have seem to imply that the flakes will all settle within a few minutes, but perhaps that depends on the kind you have; mine never all settle, and I find that a soak longer than a few minutes does not improve the flavor much anyway.
• To strain: line a strainer with a piece of cheesecloth (optional, but neater), and filter the dashi through it.
• You now have ichiban dashi.
• This dashi will keep for a few days in a glass container in the refrigerator.
• You can also make secondary dashi (niban dashi) by re-using the kelp and bonito flakes once; I haven't practiced that yet.