30 September, 2022
Dashi (Miso Soup Broth)
Dashi
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 10 g kombu (dried kelp)
- 1 cup bonito flakes
Instructions
- Put the water in a pot and add the kombu to soak for at least half an hour up to 4 hours
- Place the pot on medium low heat and heat to about 190° – steamy but not boiling. This should take 20-30 minutes. This step extracts the umami from the kelp. DO NOT LET IT BOIL
- Remove the kombu
- Add the bonito flakes. Simmer for about 10 minutes. The bonito will sink to the bottom of the pot.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve
Notes
If you boil the kombu, it will get slimy and bitter
I usually make a batch of 24 cups (12 pints) and store it in mason jars. If you jar it while still hot and seal the jars, it will keep for weeks in the fridge.
If you let the kombu cool, you can reuse it to make a second batch. The second batch will be weaker. But it is a good way to stretch the kombu’s use.