Chef Yamada's "1.5" All-Purpose Dashi
When Chef Isao Yamada recently returned to my place for another cooking session, one of the first questions I asked him was prompted by a reader's comment asking for a method for an all-purpose version of kombu-katsuobushi dashi, the fundamental Japanese stock. Back in February, Yamada-san taught me the classic technique for preparing ichiban and niban dashi. But what about a versatile dashi a home cook can prepare, without going through the two-step ichiban/niban process? What Yamada-san suggested was a dashi in between the delicate taste of the ichiban, and the powerful taste of the niban, what he called iten goban dashi -- or, "one and a half dashi." The technique is very straightforward. I've been using this dashi since Yamada-san taught it to me for everything from miso soup to nimono; it's perfect. Here's how you prepare it:
4 cups of water
1 piece of kombu, about 6 inches long
2 handfuls of katsuobushi (this estimation works)
Heat the kombu and water in a saucepan over medium heat until it just about boils (you'll see tiny bubbles along the bottom of the pan). Remove the kombu and bring the liquid to a boil. Boil for about 10 to 20 seconds and remove any scum that rises to the surface (impurities from the kombu). Keep boiling and drop in the katsuobushi. Boil for 1 minute, then remove the saucepan from the heat. Let the katsuobushi steep for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how potent you want the dashi (test to find your sweet spot; I like 10 minutes for something like miso soup). Strain through a cheesecloth and you have your dashi.
(As always, my deepest appreciation and thanks to Yamada-san.)
Posted by Harris Salat in Dashi | Permalink | Comments (11) | Email | Print
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Comments (11)
Yes - I am making dashi very often these days. It is easy and the flavor is delicious. I am experimenting with ways to have some on hand when you don't have time to make it or you are out of katsuboshi. So my next batch is going into ice cube trays and 1 cup ziploc bags and then into the freezer. I want to see if this is preferable to using the dashi packs, which are fairly high quality.
On my last trip to Japan in January, I did an unscientific survey of all my Japanese female friends and asked do if they made dashi from scratch? "On New Year's," said one. If I was in their homes they opened up the cabinet and showed me the variety of ready-made good dashi available. I don't want to overstate the results so I will report that 99% do not make dashi from scratch. It isn't that they never do, just almost never.
Japanese cookbooks in Japanese even use dashi powder on the ingredient list.
As I am presently working on a Japanese cookbook, I need to be able to convince an American public, that is interested in Japanese cuisine, that it is worth the effort to learn how to make it. Maybe not all the time, but the flavor is pure and you can be certain there are no additives. Probably one of the easiest of all stocks around.
I would be very interested in hearing your and others thoughts on this.
Cheers,
Debra
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