Ichiban dashi (Japanese broth)
Makes 4 cups
Recipe from "The Japanese Kitchen" by Kimiko Barber.
INGREDIENTS
1 piece dried kombu (kelp), postcard-size
4 cups water
3/4 ounce bonito flakes (about a handful)
INSTRUCTION
Put the kombu with water in a saucepan. Heat gently and take out the kombu when it begins to float. When the water comes to a boil, take off the heat. Add the bonito flakes and let them settle at the bottom. Strain the broth through a fine strainer lined with paper towels.
Note: Dashi is a foundation of Japanese cooking, infusing sauces and broths with a savory and smoky umami flavor through a simple mix of kombu (kelp), katsuobushi (bonito shavings) and water.
"Ichiban dashi" – or "first dashi" – can be used for ponzu sauce, dipping sauce for soba, udon noodle broths and more. "Niban dashi" – or "second dashi" – uses the leftover kombu and katsuobushi with fresh water to make a less- pronounced dashi that's typically used for miso soups.
For "niban dashi," add the used kombu and katsuobushi from your "first dashi" to 4 cups of fresh water. When the water comes to a boil, take off the heat. Remove kombu. Add 2 tablespoons cold water to "shock" the water. Add one handful of fresh katsuobushi and steep for 3 to 4 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer lined with paper towels or cheesecloth.
Use this mellower "second dashi" to mix with miso paste for making soup.
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
What You Should Know About Comments on Sacbee.com
Sacbee.com is happy to provide a forum for reader interaction, discussion, feedback and reaction to our stories. However, we reserve the right to delete inappropriate comments or ban users who can't play nice. (See our full terms of service here.)
Here are some rules of the road:
• Keep your comments civil. Don't insult one another or the subjects of our articles. If you think a comment violates our guidelines click the "Report Abuse" link to notify the moderators. Responding to the comment will only encourage bad behavior.
• Don't use profanities, vulgarities or hate speech. This is a general interest news site. Sometimes, there are children present. Don't say anything in a way you wouldn't want your own child to hear.
• Do not attack other users; focus your comments on issues, not individuals.
• Stay on topic. Only post comments relevant to the article at hand.
• Do not copy and paste outside material into the comment box.
• Don't repeat the same comment over and over. We heard you the first time.
• Do not use the commenting system for advertising. That's spam and it isn't allowed.
• Don't use all capital letters. That's akin to yelling and not appreciated by the audience.
• Don't flag other users' comments just because you don't agree with their point of view. Please only flag comments that violate these guidelines.
You should also know that The Sacramento Bee does not screen comments before they are posted. You are more likely to see inappropriate comments before our staff does, so we ask that you click the "Report Abuse" link to submit those comments for moderator review. You also may notify us via email at feedback@sacbee.com. Note the headline on which the comment is made and tell us the profile name of the user who made the comment. Remember, comment moderation is subjective. You may find some material objectionable that we won't and vice versa.
If you submit a comment, the user name of your account will appear along with it. Users cannot remove their own comments once they have submitted them.
Order Reprint
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.