The first time I made dashi I was shocked by how easy it was. Just cover kombu with water, and let it sit. That’s it. No chopping, no simmering, no skimming, and usually no straining. Traditionally the liquid is steeped with bonito flakes, but since bonito is made from dried fish, it’s omitted here. Dried shiitake mushrooms add flavor instead. But even without the bonito flakes, dashi is surprisingly rich in umami, in part because kombu contains some of the same naturally occurring glutamates that appear in MSG. I’ve included both cold and hot water methods—the cold water method produces a better-tasting dashi, with a fuller flavor, but when you haven’t been able to plan ahead, the hot water method will work fine. After you get into the habit, you might do as I do and reserve a big Mason jar specifically for dashi. <br /> <br />Text excerpted from BOWL © 2016 by Lukas Volger. Reproduced by permission of Rux Martin Books/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

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