Dashi is a wonderfully smoky, umami-packed stock that is the base for a range of different dishes in Japanese cooking. It exists in powder form, but will, of course, be both tastier and healthier if you can face making your own. In which case:
Leave the kombu to steep in a pan of cold water overnight.
Place on the stove and heat until just lukewarm, it will become bitter if it starts to boil. Fish out the kombu and discard. Heat again until the bubbles start to come off the bottom of the pan, then remove from the heat and add the katsuobushi.
Place on the stove and heat until just lukewarm, it will become bitter if it starts to boil. Fish out the kombu and discard. Heat again until the bubbles start to come off the bottom of the pan, then remove from the heat and add the katsuobushi.
Leave this to steep in the broth for 2 minutes before straining. Add salt to taste.
Grill or fry the chicken thighs skin-side down, until crispy. Turn over and season with salt. Shred. Treat yourself to a piece of the crispy skin – you’re human after all.
Slice the onion into half moons and saute quickly in a dry frying pan (skillet). Add the dashi, mirin and soy sauce, crack open 4 eggs and stir into the broth. Stir until the eggs have just set. Remove from the heat.
Divide the rice into separate bowls, top with the dashi eggs, then arrange the chicken and soy-pickled cucumber nicely over each bowl. Top each with 1 raw egg yolk, and a sprinkling of spring onion and sesame seeds.
Korean BBQ and Japanese Grills by Jonas Cramby is published by Pavilion Books. Image: Roland Persson.
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