Wasabi cream is made from wasabi powder, sour cream, and vegetables. Fresh wasabi root should be handled with gloves to avoid skin irritation. The root is grated into a paste and mixed with sour cream. The finished cream is used as a dipping sauce for sushi and seafood.
Wasabi cream is usually a blend of wasabi powder, sour cream, and vegetables, such as chopped leeks, shallots, and sometimes grated horseradish. Those who use fresh wasabi root to make wasabi cream should handle it with gloves to avoid skin irritation. Some cooks may even want to wear eye protection to avoid getting the juice in their eyes. When using fresh or powdered wasabi, cooks typically need to mix the ingredients thoroughly and taste the cream often to verify that the flavors aren’t too strong.
Often compared to horseradish, wasabi is a pale green plant native to Japan. It has broad, circular leaves and a thick, fibrous root. The root is the part that contains all the flavor and spiciness. These are usually available fresh in Asian grocery stores and appear as a brown, knobby tube with pale green stems sticking out of one end. This is unprepared wasabi, and as such, it’s not quite ready to go into wasabi cream.
Cooks should typically wear disposable gloves when working with wasabi root. Even if the cook doesn’t have sensitive skin during the preparation, the gloves can protect him afterwards, for example, if he accidentally touches his face with contaminated fingers. Protective eyewear, such as clear carpenter’s glasses, may be necessary for those who often cry when cutting onions.
A vegetable peeler usually works well for removing the brown outer layer of the root. The cook should then grate the root against a microplane or fine grater to grind it into a paste. Most wasabi cream recipes call for about 1/8 of this paste to be mixed with 1 part sour cream. Those using wasabi powder may want to start with 1/16th part wasabi, because it is usually spicier than the fresh root. Whisking the ingredients together with a fork is usually enough to mix them thoroughly.
Those who like extra spice can add about 1/8 part horseradish to their wasabi spread, but the spread should typically be tasted first. The wasabi cream should have a noticeable bite that doesn’t negate the tanginess of the sour cream. The cook may also add chopped leeks or shallots to the recipe, but must taste carefully after mixing the ingredients. These ingredients usually enhance the spiciness of the wasabi and could nullify the cooling effect of the sour cream if the cook overuses them.
The finished wasabi cream goes well with a number of dishes. Can be used as a dipping sauce for sushi, shrimp, crab or scallops. The rich, meaty flavor of tuna often benefits from a touch of wasabi on top. Innovative cooks might also try pairing this spread with steak, chicken, swordfish, and salmon. Side dishes for wasabi cream-coated appetizers should typically include refreshing flavors. A cucumber salad or sliced fruit typically does the trick.
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