Dashi - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 1/2 cups water
3 inches dried kombu seaweed
2 ounces bonito flakes (about 50 g)
1 dash light soy sauce (optional)
1 pinch sea salt (optional)
1 green onion, sliced into rings (optional)

Preparation

Bring the water with the kombu slowly to the boil in a medium sized pot, but do not boil.
As the water comes to a fast simmer and just before the boil, remove the kombu from the water and add the bonito flakes.
Turn the heat off and leave the pot uncovered for 20 minutes.
The bonito flakes fall to the bottom of the pan when the dashi is ready to be strained.
So, if the bonito flakes are still suspended after 20 minutes, leave the pot until they have fallen (this process usually takes only 20 minutes for me... but bonito flakes can vary in moisture content and the process could take a few minutes longer. Just know that you're looking for the flakes to fall before you strain!) Use a fine mesh strainer to strain the bonito flakes out of the dashi.
Reserve plain dashi for use in other soup recipes or serve as a simple clear bonito broth.
To serve dashi as a clear broth, season pot with a splash of light soy sauce and a pinch of sea salt.
Sliced green onion is a traditional addition to this simple soup.