From Forage. Gather. Feast. Photo by Marla Aufmuth
Dashi is a simple, subtle, and fragrant broth whose base layer of flavor is kombu seaweed. The discovery of umami as the fifth flavor after salty, sweet, sour, and bitter came when a Japanese chemist named Kikunae Ikeda went to figure out why dashi broth was so satisfying. In Japanese it means something like “the essence of deliciousness”. I think of umami as a food that triggers the tongue's pleasure center where happy endorphins are born.
Traditionally it’s made with kombu, bonito, a fish in the tuna family that is smoked and then shaved into super thin pieces. Often shiitake mushrooms or even anchovies are added to layer in the rich umami experience of this broth. I like to use my dried morel mushrooms for this, because morels make everything really good. So this doesn’t have the delicate balance that traditional dashi has, but rather, it’s an umami super storm.
Makes 1 Quart
Kombu-Morel Broth
Ingredients
3 cups water
1 piece of kombu about 2 inches wide and 4-6” long.
3/4 cup of dried morels
Instructions:
Steep kombu in the water overnight.
Then warm water on the stovetop on medium-low heat
When water is hot, with bubbles coming up from the bottom, but not a roiling boil, add morels
Simmer these for 10 minutes, then turn off heat and let them seep for 5-10 minutes.
Strain out the morels and kombu- save these to make a savory, rich jam
This is a savory tea that can be enjoyed on its own and is great basis for soup. You can use it for poaching fish or vegetables to layer the flavor.