Dashi: Japanese Fish Stock

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• One 6-inch square kombu (kelp)
• 1 cup tightly packed katsuobushi (bonito fish flakes)

Instructions

1. 1
   Wipe the kombu with a damp cotton cloth or paper towel.
2. 2
   In a large pot, bring the water and kombu almost to a boil over low-medium heat. Cook the kombu for 10 minutes.
3. 3
   Remove the kombu and preserve for the dashi preparation. Add the fish flakes all at once and count to 10.
4. 4
   Turn off the heat, skim off any foam, and let the mixture stand for 2 minutes.
5. 5
   Strain the stock through a sieve lined with a tightly woven cotton cloth. Discard the bonito flakes, or preserve them for the second stock.
6. 6
   Refrigerate the stock, tightly covered, for up to four days, or freeze it.