Dashi & Modern Jus
The two clean, savoury foundations of modern fine dining.
Every serious kitchen keeps a container of dashi and a container of jus in the walk-in. One is Japan's answer to stock — clean, umami, made in fifteen minutes. The other is French tradition, distilled to its darkest, glossiest form.
Watch a demonstration
How To Make Dashi 3 Ways (Recipe)
hosted by YouTube
How to do it
- 01
Dashi — cold steep
10g kombu per litre of cold water. Rest 30 minutes to overnight in the fridge. Bring to a bare simmer — never boil the kombu; you'll get bitter, slimy nastiness.
~30 min - 02
Dashi — bonito
Pull the kombu out at 60°C. Off the heat, add 20g katsuobushi. Steep 3 minutes only. Strain through muslin. You now have ichiban dashi — the pristine first extraction.
~5 min - 03
Jus — roast the bones dark
Roast bones at 220°C until deep mahogany, 45 minutes. Add trimming, tomato purée, roast another 10. If it isn't dark you have nothing.
~55 min - 04
Jus — extract fast
Deglaze the tray with red wine into a saucepan, add just enough cold water to cover. Simmer, skimming, 90 minutes. Pass. Reduce again until it coats a spoon like syrup.
~90 min - 05
Store like gold
Cool fast, portion into 100ml pots, freeze. A single spoonful of proper jus lifts a plate.
~5 min