Hey, wasabi?
A Pinch of Salt
By Donna Marie Riani
I am not a betting woman, but I would bet that many of you reading this have never had real wasabi. Upwards of 90 percent of the products marked as wasabi are usually a mixture of horseradish, mustard and food coloring.
Wasabi is in the same family as horseradish and mustard and all three are similar in heat but they are not exactly the same.
Wasabi is a bright green color and when freshly grated it brings a punch of heat. But it’s a good heat, not the same that we associate with chili peppers. The wasabi heat doesn’t linger or keep building in intensity and will fade pretty quickly, leaving you with a nice spicy flavor in your mouth. And you don’t feel the wasabi in your mouth as much as you feel it in your nose. It’s sure to clear your sinuses!
The part of the wasabi plant that is used is a root-like stem called a rhizome. This rhizome is always served freshly grated and is a completely different texture than the paste we are used to. It is also time sensitive. After grating, the flavor starts to dissipate, so it’s best enjoyed right away.
Outside of Japan, growing wasabi is hard, even under the best of circumstances. In my humble opinion, wasabi is the diva of the plant world. It is notoriously difficult to grow and extremely picky about what it needs.
I’m sure at this point you are asking yourself what wasabi has to do with Oregon. Well, as luck would have it, in Tillamook County sits Oregon Coast Wasabi. Through painstaking work, this company has been able to replicate the natural habitat that wasabi loves, complete with its own private coastal stream. Oregon Coast Wasabi has the distinction of being the only wasabi farm in Oregon and one of only a handful in the US. It was during my time at the Lincoln City Culinary Center that I first learned about this company and the amazing woman behind it all, Jennifer Bloeser. This is just another example of how truly special Oregon is.
Though this versatile ingredient can be used in many dishes, when I think of wasabi, I think of seafood. There are times I love being in the kitchen for hours and experimenting, and then there are other times I want to get in and out quickly. When I want instant gratification, this recipe delivers. There is minimal preparation and huge flavors. If you can’t get your hands on fresh wasabi, have no fear, most major grocery stores carry jars of wasabi powder and yes, it’s real wasabi. You simply add water.
This recipe serves four but you can easily cut it in half to serve two. I realize some like it hot, so feel free to add extra wasabi to give it a little more kick.
Kicked Up Tuna Salad Sandwiches
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 tablespoon prepared or freshly grated wasabi
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (celery salt is even better if you have it)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• Two 5-ounce cans albacore tuna. Make sure to drain if packed in water
• 4 soft crusty sandwich rolls, split and toasted
• 1 small cucumber cut into thin slices
In a small bowl combine the mayo, wasabi, garlic, vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
In a medium bowl, place the onions, celery, dill and tuna. Gently fold to combine.
If you haven’t toasted your rolls yet, now is the time. You can cut the rolls in half and toast them under a broiler or place the rolls cut side down in a lightly buttered skillet over medium heat. You just want to lightly brown the rolls. An untoasted roll is a sad roll, so don’t skip this step.
Place the mayo mixture in the bowl with the tuna. Gently mix to combine making sure not to break up the tuna too much.
Evenly divide the tuna salad between the four rolls and top with a few cucumber slices. If you want it really zippy, add some additional wasabi on top.