Ichiban Dashi (一番だし)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide saucepan
• •Fine-mesh strainer
• •Clean cotton cloth or sturdy paper towel
• •Measuring cup or heatproof bowl

Instructions

1. 1

   Wipe the konbu

   Wipe the konbu lightly with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. The pale bloom on the surface is not dirt. It is part of the flavor, and rinsing sends it down the drain before the pot has done any work.

   If the konbu has grit, brush off only the grit. Keep the white surface bloom.
2. 2

   Warm it slowly

   Put the konbu and cold water in a wide pot and set it over low to medium-low heat. Bring it up slowly, about 10 minutes, until the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides. Pull the konbu out just before the boil, because boiling draws out bitterness and a slippery texture that muddies the clean stock.

   You're steeping the kelp, not boiling it. The rule is only the shortest way to say protect the clarity.
3. 3

   Add the flakes

   Raise the heat briefly until the water reaches a gentle boil, then add the katsuobushi all at once. Turn off the heat at once and leave the pot alone for 2 to 3 minutes, until the flakes sink. Stirring makes the stock cloudy and pulls roughness from the flakes faster than you want.

   Open the katsuobushi packet only when you need it. Its best aroma fades quickly in the air.
4. 4

   Strain without squeezing

   Line a fine-mesh strainer with a clean cloth or sturdy paper towel and set it over a bowl. Pour the dashi through and let it drip by itself. Don't squeeze. Pressing the flakes forces strong, oily flavors into the clear gold stock, and that is exactly what we were guarding against.

   The spent konbu and bonito can be used for niban dashi, a second stock for simmered dishes. It is useful, but it is not the same as ichiban dashi.
5. 5

   Use or chill

   Use the dashi while its fragrance is fresh, or cool it quickly and refrigerate it. It should taste clean, light, and quietly savory, with the scent of the sea and smoke but no heaviness. If it tastes flat, the answer next time is better konbu and fresher katsuobushi, not more salt.

Chef Tips

• •Buy konbu in whole pieces when you can, not broken crumbs. Rishiri, Rausu, Hidaka, and Ma konbu all give different character, but any good piece should smell clean and marine, never stale or musty.
• •For katsuobushi, sealed freshly shaved packets are the sensible home choice. Whole blocks shaved at the moment are wonderful, but a shaving box is a devotion, not a weeknight requirement.
• •Don't use instant powder here. It has its place in a hurried kitchen, but ichiban dashi is the point of the lesson, and the powder gives salt and convenience where you need fragrance and clarity.
• •For a meatless table, make a temple-style stock with konbu and dried shiitake. That is honmono in the shōjin ryōri tradition, not a lesser imitation of bonito dashi.
• •Never season this base stock unless the dish calls for it. Dashi is the foundation; soy sauce, miso, salt, and mirin belong to the dish you build on top.

Advance Preparation

• •For a gentler stock, soak the konbu in the cold water for 2 hours, or overnight in the refrigerator, before warming it. Remove it before the water boils as usual.
• •Finished ichiban dashi keeps up to 2 days refrigerated in a covered container. Its fragrance is best the day it is made.
• •Freeze extra dashi in small portions for up to 1 month. Thaw gently and avoid a hard boil, which dulls the aroma.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)