State Bird dashi
MAKES ABOUT 3¼ CUPS
“My instinct is that if a Japanese person tasted our take on dashi stock, the umami- rich backbone to so much of our food, he or she would say, ‘This is not dashi’,” says Brioza. “But my hope is they’d like it all the same. Ours is busier than the stunningly spare traditional version – just kombu and katsuobushi steeped in water. We engage in a bit of blasphemy, boosting the flavour with aromatics like lemon peel and ginger, garlic and rosemary. But I like to think these additions make sense – the ginger a familiar friend to dashi, the piney rosemary a new but amiable one to the smoky katsuobushi. Our dishes don’t embrace the level of nuance that Japanese food does. Our food is big and bold, and so is our dashi.” 30 gm kombu, snipped into pieces
4cm knob ginger, peeled and smashed
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 strips Meyer lemon peel, white pith removed 1 small rosemary sprig 2½ cups (20gm) katsuobushi (see note)
1 Combine the kombu, ginger, garlic, lemon peel, rosemary, and 1 litre water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and warm until small bubbles begin to rise from the bottom but before they break the surface (10-12 minutes). Turn off the heat.
2 Sprinkle in the katsuobushi and, if necessary, gently stir with a wooden spoon so it’s completely saturated. Let steep for 10 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve, lightly pressing on the solids.
3 Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Note Katsuobushi, or dried bonito flakes, are available at Asian supermarkets. ●