Homemade Dashi 出汁, だし

Dashi can be described as the heart and soul of Japanese cooking. There are of course instant dashi stock that you can get these days but nothing beats a good homemade one. It is dead easy to prepare and once you have done it the first time, you'll never touch the instant dashi powder again!

P.S Not the best photos but you'll get an idea :)

you'll need;

2 pc of dashi kombu (kelp)

15 gm kezurikatsuo (dried bonito flakes)

5 cups of water

dash of salt

cover kombu with water in a pot and let it stand for 30 minutes. Turn the heat on and simmer uncovered on a very low heat for 15 minutes, little bubbles will start to appear.

Remove the kombu; it should have doubled in size by now, I keep it for another use. Empty the bonito flakes and a little salt into the stock and allow to steep for 5 minutes.

Strain broth and it is ready for use.