Monday, December 7, 2009

What to do with the leftover dashi ingredients…Homemade Furikake


The most standard dashi stock I make is “Awase Dashi” which I make with dashi konbu (dried kelp) and mixed dried fish flakes. With these simple ingredients, I can make the very nice dashi stock for so many different kinds of Japanese dishes.

Even though they are already “used”, the leftover kombu and fish flakes from making dashi still retain very nice flavors as well as nutrients. So, you can use them again for making the “second dashi”, or for making a completely different dish.

I like making “furikake” (topping condiment for rice) with these leftovers. Here’s how I make my simple furikak with the leftover dashi konbu and fish flakes.

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Konbu is sliced into very thin strips. Fish flakes are minced.

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They are sautéed with the sesame oil for a few minutes. Good amount of sea salt, a splash of soy sauce, and ground sesame seeds are added. Stir well.

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That’s it. The tasty homemade “furikake” is ready. It would be quite salty if you eat it on its own, but it would make a wonderful accompaniment for the rice. The high quality sea salt (I use French fleur de sel) can make a big different in the flavor, too. With this furikake, I can eat a couple of large bowls of rice so easily.

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Sometimes, I also mix the furikake with the rice and make “onigiri” rice balls. With the nori (roasted seaweed) wrapped around it, this onigiri can make a great snack or picnic food.