Basic Sea Stock

This is the master stock for most traditional Japanese soups and many simmered or sauced dishes. The classic version of dashi is comprised of two ingredients —kombu (a sweet but sturdy kelp) and katsuo bushi (dried bonito flakes). Although it takes only a few minutes to make this subtle sea broth well, timing is crucial to success. If you allow the kelp to boil, your stock will become murky and bitter. And if you don’t strain the bonito flakes right away, your broth wil