Dashi

Smoky and sultry, dashi is the umami-loaded base for countless Japanese dishes, including this donabe. But instead of piles of bones and hours of simmering, all you need to make it are 45 minutes and two power house ingredients—kombu (kelp) and bonito flakes (tuna that’s been dried, fermented, and smoked). In fact, it’s more like making a delicate tea than a stock: You’re looking to extract the flavor of kombu through gentle heating, and then the bonito through steeping. The method in this recipe requires just 30 minutes to soak the kombu, unlike some that call for overnight soaking.