Kombu & Shiitake Mushroom Dashi
Kombu & Shiitake Mushroom Dashi
About this Recipe
Use this kombu (seaweed) and shiitake mushroom dashi (or stock) in soups, stews, and hot pots — and for cooking rice, too. After the overnight infusion, the kombu and shiitake can be added to the water for a hot pot. When heated together with the other ingredients in the hot pot, the kombu and shiitake make for an even richer dashi. The shiitake also can be sliced (discard the stem) and cooked in a vegetable soup.
The Benefits
Dashi, a key part of the Japanese diet, is known to enhance flavor, which means using less salt, fat, and sugar when cooking. Besides providing umami, shiitake mushrooms’ polysaccharides (such as starch, glycogen, and cellulose) can help prevent inflammation. They’re high in fiber and have eratadenine, reported to lower cholesterol.
Ingredients
Makes about 2½ cups (600 ml)
- 1 (2- by 2-in / 5- by 5-cm) piece of kombu
- 2 medium dried shiitake mushrooms, quickly rinsed
- 2½ cups (600 ml) water
Directions
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Step 1
Combine the kombu and dried shiitake in a bowl. Add the water and leave it overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the kombu and shiitake. The dashi is ready to use in soups, stews, and more. Store it covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Substitutions: You can omit the shiitake and make kombu dashi with just kelp.
About the author
Naoko Takei
Naoko Takei is a cookbook author, teacher, and the founder of Toiro in Los Angeles, a cookware shop devoted to the traditional pottery of Iga, Japan.
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