Ingredients for katsuobushi dashi stock.

This is a follow up on my vegetarian dashi recipe as most of the time dashi stock in Japanese cuisine is a blend of katsuobushi and kombu. As mentioned in my previous post, you can have a variation between dried kelp (kombu), dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi), dried shiitake mushrooms and small dried fish for dashi.

Katsuobushi is a Japanese dried, fermented, smoked skipjack tuna. Back in the day, a block of katsuoboshi would be kept at hand and when needed; they would simply shave off what was needed on a wood plane. If you are a die-hard traditionalist you can still purchase blocks of this tuna and make shavings for yourself at home. Not only is it used for stock, it can be added to enhance flavors as a seasoning, topping, and stuffing. It also has an aesthetic effect when placed on hot foods; the thin shavings start to move and and shrivel down.

Katsuobushi is easily found in the Japanese and health food stores and its flakes are usually sold packaged in a transparent sealed bag. It's also rich in umami flavors especially when combined with kombu in this stock.

Katsuobushi Dashi

INGREDIENTS//Yields approx. 1 liter

• 1 liter water
• 1 piece kombu (about 12- inches long)
• 10-15 grams katsuobushi

PREPARATION
In a bowl, steep your kombu in a litre of water overnight or at least 15-30 minutes beforehand.

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill a large pot with the llitre of water and the steeped kombu.

Bring it to a simmer and just before it comes to a boil, fish out the kombu.

At boiling point, quickly add the katsuobushi and turn off the heat.

Let it sit for 10 minutes or until the katsuobushi sinks to the bottom.

Strain the stock for use right away or let it cool and pour it in a container, seal tightly, and then refigerate for another time (holds up to 3-4 days).

NOTE

Such as the Kombu dashi stock recipe, the ingredients can be re-used right away to make a second stock referred to as niban dashi. The first stock is usually stronger in flavor and is referred to as ichiban dashi.

Dashi is the base of many Japanese dishes. Found in many noodle soup bases and dips; one of my favorite Japanese noodle dish is zaru soba, the cold buckwheat noodles dipped into tsuyu sauce—such a hot-weather treat. I've learned to make my own dashi over the years recalling how my mum did it when I was a kid. Mostly, I remember eating the kombu (dried kelp) after it was pulled out of the stock and laid aside. Maybe it was intended for the trash bin but it always ended up in my stomach. I've always loved the taste of the sea and maybe that's where it began...in the kitchen.

This is a great vegetarian stock. It is a light broth that is rich in glutamates, thus producing more umami (pleasant savory taste) flavors. If you buy the packaged dashi which sells in powdered or granule form, and also packaged like tea sachets, they usually contain MSG. So if you are allergic to MSG or just wince at the acronyms, you can whip it up at home naturally in large stock and freeze it for future use. Just so you know MSG is synthesized to replicate the naturally occurring glutamates in kombu, so it's a synthesized flavor enhancer.

Kombu, dried bonito flakes, dried shiitake mushrooms, and small dried fish are other elements to making dashi. The kombu used alone is the most basic dashi and a great vegetarian option. Stay tuned for the next post on how to make katsuobushi dashi which is a fish-based dashi.

Homemade Dashi

INGREDIENTS//Yields approx. 1 liter

• 1 piece kombu (about 12 inches long)
• 1/2 liter water

PREPARATION

In a medium size glass mixing bowl, steep your kombu in the water and put it in the fridge overnight. You can cut it down to fit your bowl.

INSTRUCTIONS

Take your bowl of steeped kombu and transfer it into a medium size pot along with the water.

On medium heat, simmer the kombu until boiling point.

Quickly fish out the kombu (set it aside for a second stock) and turn down the heat.

Turn off the heat and let it cool down.

Refigerate the stock in a tightly sealed container for use up to four days to a week.

NOTE

The kombu can be used again (right away) after the first stock to make a second stock referred to as niban dashi. The first stock is called ichiban dashi.