Gill Meller
LATIN NAME
Wasabia japonica
SOURCING
Why is an eye-watering, sinus-blasting hit of wasabi so enjoyable on a piece of pure, raw seafood? The delicate, sweet blandness of sashimi just seems to beg for a hot spot of this zesty green freshness. It’s thought wasabi was originally served with sushi so that the plant’s anti-bacterial properties would guard against food poisoning. But there’s more to it than that. The fiery green paste brings out the flavour of the seafood and does something else in the mouth that’s hard to explain: it just works.
The wasabi plant is part of the brassica family, and the condiment comes from the grated stem. Wasabi is related to horseradish, which it resembles all too well. In fact, many commercial wasabi pastes largely comprise horseradish and/or mustard powder, with vivid colouring added, and very little actual wasabi. Look on the label and you’ll see what’s in the tube or pot of powder. Genuine wasabi has a subtler shade of green and a broader spectrum of flavours, with sweet, pungent and herbal aspects to its nose-prickling heat.
Like its sister horseradish, wasabi is best eaten freshly grated. Grating unleashes an enzymatic chain reaction that gives wasabi its kick. Whole wasabi stems can be kept for a few weeks in the fridge and you can grate them as you need them. The best tool for this is a Japanese oroshigane grater (which you can use for ginger too). Some graters still feature the traditional sharkskin but often they are made from more sustainable metal or china, with small, sharp bumps that mash up the root as you rub it over the surface, forming a fine purée. Ideally, wait 3–4 minutes after grating, which allows the wasabi to become slightly sweeter, then eat or use within 20 minutes.
Aside from sushi, wasabi can be served with steak or sausages, added to dipping sauces, or used to spice up butter before dotting on meat or fish. It’s also good in a peppy dip for crudités: soak a couple of handfuls of whole blanched almonds overnight in cold water. Drain, then put in a blender with 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, 1 small grated garlic clove, a good dash of soy sauce and 1–2 tsp freshly grated wasabi root. Blitz to a thick, coarse purée, adding a little water, check the seasoning and serve.
RICE AND FISH WITH WASABI DRESSING
This salad takes the elements of sushi and re-imagines them in salad form. The fish is cooked rather than raw. You can use any cold, cooked fish – roast, steamed or grilled, white or oily – so this recipe is a great vehicle for leftovers. Serves 4
150g long-grain white or brown rice
200–300g cold, cooked fish flesh, all skin and bone removed
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
4 spring onions, finely sliced
FOR THE DRESSING
2 tsp wasabi paste or freshly grated wasabi
1 tsp freshly grated root ginger
1 small garlic clove, grated
Juice of 1 large lime
2 tsp clear honey
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
Sea salt
Cook the rice as described on the packet. Drain and spread out on a large plate, then leave in a cool spot to cool quickly and completely. It’s important not to leave cooked rice standing for long at room temperature – ideally you want to get the rice cool within about 20 minutes of cooking. Give it a stir every now and then to speed the process.
Flake the cooked fish and stir it gently through the rice. Then sprinkle over the tamari or soy sauce and the vinegar, and stir once more. Spoon the fish and rice over a large platter. Scatter over the spring onions.
For the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together thoroughly in a bowl. Trickle the dressing over the rice and fish and serve straight away.