Nothing like a salty
broth to warm your
cockles – or your
scallops, for that matter
Sea vegetable, sea
bass & scallop dashi
This is a Japanese-style seaweed
broth that can be used to poach fish
and warm through samphire.
The whole dish takes just a few
moments, so it’s a really easy and
beautiful thing to make on a fire
beside the sea, if you fancy.
Serves 2
1 piece dried kombu seaweed, a few
inches long (from Asian
supermarkets)
2 tbsp bonito flakes (from Asian
supermarkets)
6 scallops
Olive oil
200g sea bass fillet, cut into chunks
A handful of samphire stems,
washed and roughly chopped
1 Put the kombu in a pan along with
500ml water and heat until almost
boiling. Remove the kombu (don’t
allow it to boil or it will turn bitter and
slimy) and add the bonito flakes.
Bring up to a gentle simmer for about
5 mins, then remove from the heat
and leave to steep.
2 In a separate pan, over a medium
heat, fry the scallops on both sides in
a little olive oil until golden. Set aside.
3 Pour the kombu liquid through a
sieve into a clean pan. Discard the
bonito flakes. Add the fish pieces and
samphire to the broth. Simmer for a
few minutes, then drop in the scallops
to warm through before serving hot.