Kombu & Bonito Dashi

Preparation

Dashi is a foundational broth in Japanese cooking, providing depth of flavor and umami to a wide range of dishes. This kombu and bonito dashi offers a fragrant, clean taste, making it ideal for miso soup, tamagoyaki and other traditional recipes. The dashi can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 weeks.

*This recipe originally ran in Japan on HexClad.jp.

1. Combine 4 ¼ cups/1 liter water and kombu in a HexClad 5 QT Hybrid Oval Dutch Oven and place over medium heat. Just before the water comes to a boil, remove the kombu. 

2. Let come to a boil, then add the bonito flakes and immediately remove from heat. Let stand for 2 minutes.

3. Strain the dashi through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel into a heatproof bowl or container, do not press on the bonito flakes while straining. Discard solids or reuse to make a 2nd dashi broth (see NOTE). 

NOTE: The strained kombu and bonito flakes can be reused to make a second, less potent batch of dashi. Save kombu and bonito and place in a large heatproof bowl. Pour 2 cups boiling water over and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain.