멸치 다시마 육수 / Myeolchi dashima yuksu (Broth of dashima and dried anchovy)

This is one of the most regularly made broths in my kitchen, the flavor base of so many different dishes - some radically different from each other. It’s also one of the first things I learned from the cooks making Korean food around me, and one that I make and improvise on all the time. I make it without thinking, as if my body memorized it all and knows what it’s doing without my mental effort.

You can enjoy this broth as the simplest of Korean noodle soups: seasoned with very good Korean soup soy sauce (just a touch) and some salt, a sprinkle of green onions, and somyeon noodles. For this, you will definitely need a side of kimchi.

It’s more often used as a base ingredient for other dishes: stews and soups, more elaborate noodle soups, kimchi seasonings, banchan.

Broth of dashima and dried anchovy (for 1 liter)

Ingredients:
-1 small piece dashima (about 5 in / 12 cm length square)
-4-5 dried anchovies (larger variety meant for broths)
-1 stock green onion (mainly the white part) and/or 1 onion

Prepare the dried anchovies: remove the head, split it in half, and remove the gut.

Prepare the green onion and/or onion: wash thoroughly and cut off most of the green part (save it for something else). If using the onion, peel it and cut in half.

Add the dried anchovies, dashima, and green onion / onion to a liter of water in a pot. Bring to a slow boil on medium high heat. Bring down the heat when it starts to boil so that it continues to simmer. Remove the dashima, but leave everything else and let it continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes, skimming off the things that bubble up to the surface as you go.

Heat off, and let it cool down. Then strain the broth to use for your dish.

Variations: For a vegan option, just don’t use the anchovies. You can also add 3-4 dried shrimps.