Fresh wasabi root

[Ruthy]

I have just received a small consignment of fresh wasabi root. I am looking for a more original idea than mixing it with soy sauce for sashimi. The flavor and texture of the root has to be dominant. Please put your little gray cells to work!

[Pete]

Check out this month's Savuer mag. They do an article on fresh wasabi. I like their idea of making a wasabi butter and using it on steak as a twist on the horseradish with steak thing. But be careful and dont cook it or fresh wasabi loses all its nuances.

[Ruthy]

Thanks Pete. Actually it was from Saveur that I found out where to order the stuff but I thought butter would only detract from fresh wasabi's subtle flavor. Made a great vinaigrette for grilled scallops with soy and lemon juice. Did you have the fresh stuff at Nobu in NYC -ethereal!

I recently heard of a chef adding wasabi to a sabayon that accompanied atlantic salmon. I would imagine the wasabi is added at the last moment. The affect in a sabayon would be of full flavoured fluff! If you get my drift.cheers.

please, just don't do "wasabi Mashed potatoes"... I'm so tired of the 31 flavors of mashed potatoes you see these days...It's
just tired.

[aaronproot]

Sorry to drag this really old thread up again, but I was fortunate recently to smuggle a wasabi root home from Japan a few months ago (it only cost me $16 at one of the food halls) and after I had my fill of putting the fresh ground root in all sorts of other foods, I realized that I needed a good way to preserve the remainder.

My solution? I cut the rest into chunks, mixed in some salt and canola and dig a quick chop in a mini food processor. Then I spooned the mixture into one of those little frozen garlic trays you get at Traders that looks like a mini-ice cube tray-- and I froze it.

Now I can pop little cubes out when I need them. While the frozen isn't quite as awesome as the fresh, it still blows the doors off the dried wasabi you get from Penzeys or the fake crap you get from most sushi joints.