Dashi — a kombu & shiitake broth
A clear broth where kombu and shiitake slowly deliver their umami, the foundation of all our Japanese cooking.
It is the base of nearly all Japanese cooking, and one of the most beautiful gestures of umami I know. Dashi never boils: the kombu and shiitake are left to deliver their depth slowly. From this clear broth are born miso soups, sauces, simmered vegetables.
Ingredients
- 1 piece of kombu (≈ 10 cm)
- 4-5 dried shiitake
- 1 litre of spring water
Method
Wipe the kombu without washing it (its white bloom is umami). Place it with the shiitake in cold water, ideally the night before, chilled for 5 to 10 hours. The next day, heat gently, passing quickly through the warm zone: remove the kombu just before boiling (or it turns bitter), hold the shiitake between 60 and 80°C for some fifteen minutes — the zone where guanylate forms. Strain. Keep the rehydrated shiitake for another preparation.
The tip
The glutamate of kombu and the guanylate of shiitake do not add up: they multiply up to fifteenfold. This is the whole secret of Japanese depth, achieved without any aggressive cooking.