Most of us know wasabi as the nose-tingling, sinus-tickling green wad served alongside sushi and sashimi. Outside of classic Japanese dishes though, the root vegetable rarely sees use.
That prompted me to think: What if we treat wasabi less like a sashimi slather, and more like a condiment? With its similarity in flavor to mustard and horseradish—coincidentally most commercial wasabi paste is actually made of horseradish—why not welcome wasabi as a part of the condiment club, and use it in sauces, dressings, rubs, and more?
So, as an experiment, I used wasabi in one of the simplest, most bare dishes to test whether its herbaceous piquancy could shine: mashed potatoes!
While there are many ways that lead to good mash, my go-to has always been the style of pomme purée popularized by Joël Robuchon, the late French chef who possessed the most Michelin stars in the world. In his recipe, he first boils or roasts his potatoes, then rices them into a smooth paste when they’re still steaming hot, before a big block of butter is churned into the mash (at least half the amount of butter to potatoes; some say more), along with some milk and salt to temper it. I followed his recipe nearly to a tee (though with a smaller chunk of butter), then added some wasabi powder and paste for that tingly heat.
And the verdict? It was surprisingly, ticklishly good. The wasabi added a most delightful background hint of heat, cutting through the rich butteriness of the mash that makes it ever more grand. If I didn’t know it was wasabi, I’d just assume I was having really balanced mashed potatoes, with a touch of mysterious, mustardy tang. All in all, a great success. —Jun
See what other Food52ers are saying.