YouTube video for Dashi making is here.
So, this is Part 2 of our Dashi topic. While in layman’s term, dashi is Japanese stock, to me, it is the soul of Japanese cooking, the magic ingredient that transforms an ordinary bowl of soup to one rocking with complex yet subtle Umami notes. For hundreds of years, Japanese cooks have been using dashi to enhance their dinner table productions – stews, sauces, vegetables, fish – the list is endless!
Unlike its Western & other Asian counterparts, dashi is made with so little effort, it is really a case of steeping and/or quickly simmering dried and aged ingredients. A good dashi will be potent but not overpowering and 100 cooks using the same ingredients will produce 100 different dashis. You’ll see what I mean as you start your own journey into dashi making and Japanese cuisine, generally. Your own sensibilities and taste are going to affect your dashi!
Dashi is the very basic, first step, what you add after that is completely up to you and depends on what you’re making. Whether it’s mirin, sake, shoyu (soy sauce), ginger, garlic, chicken, miso – you get the idea, don’t you?
In part 1, we made the 2 types of Awase Dashi -Ichiban & Niban, using kombu & katsuobushi.
In this post, we’ll be looking at Iriko Dashi (kombu & dried baby sardines or anchovies), Shiitake Dashi & Kombu Dashi.
Iriko Dashi
1.2 litres water
small handful of dried baby sardine or dried anchovies
Method
1. Clean the fish, i.e., remove the heads.
2. Place the water and fish in a large saucepan & bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Leave to simmer for 3 minutes or 5 for a stronger flavour.
4. Strain through a muslin lined sieve.
I find Iriko dashi to be less potent than katsuobushi and generally use it to make Miso Soup.
Kombu Dashi
1.2 litres water
1 sheet Kombu (dried kelp), cut in quarters
Method
1. Place the water & kombu in a large saucepan & soak for 20 minutes.
2. Place on low medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, taking it off immediately when it comes to a simmer.
3. Strain the dashi through a muslin lined sieve.
Keep the kombu for use in soups, stir fries or stews, cutting it in strips.
Shiitake Dashi
1.2 litres water
small handful dried shiitake mushrooms
Method
1. Place the mushrooms in a colander and give them a shake to get rid of grit and excess dust.
2. Place the water and mushrooms and water in a large saucepan and soak the mushrooms for 30 minutes.
3. Over a low medium heat, bring to a gentle simmer and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Strain through a muslin lined sieve.
Keep the shiitake for use, especially if using the dashi.
Cool Water Method
Suitable for both the Kombu and Shiitake
Just soak overnight, strain and use. Again, the kombu and shiitake can be used to cook with.
You can combine the kombu and shiitake too, for both cool & hot methods.
All roads lead back to Dashi, in Japanese cooking, giving you examples of recipes is pointless. Check out the Japanese page for recipes.
