Suimono

Ingredients

• •4 cups dashi (ichiban dashi, gently made)
• •1 tbsp light (usukuchi) soy sauce
• •1/2 tsp salt
• •4 slices kamaboko (fish cake) or tofu cubes
• •A few mitsuba leaves or thin lemon zest, for garnish

Steps

1. 1.Make ichiban dashi by soaking kombu in water for at least 30 minutes or overnight, then heating slowly and removing the kombu just before boiling, adding bonito flakes off the heat and letting steep briefly before straining through a paper-towel-lined sieve for maximum clarity.
2. 2.Gently reheat the strained dashi, keeping it well below a boil, ideally under 185F (85C), since any hard boiling will instantly cloud the broth.
3. 3.Season lightly with the light soy sauce and salt, tasting as you go so the dashi's own flavor stays dominant, not the seasoning.
4. 4.Place a slice of kamaboko or a few cubes of tofu into each serving bowl.
5. 5.Ladle the hot, clear broth gently over the top, being careful not to disturb the clarity.
6. 6.Garnish with a leaf of mitsuba or a sliver of lemon zest and serve immediately - suimono is traditionally sipped from a lidded bowl as a palate cleanser rather than a filling course.