With Christmas festivities just around the corner, thoughts turn to entertaining.
There may be recipes for old favourites relied on year after year, but how to spice them up with a contemporary twist that’s simple to do? Look no further than The Wasabi Company.
The Wasabi Company is the only grower of fresh wasabi in the UK, with farms in Hampshire and Dorset. However, they also sell an amazing range of over 400 Japanese ingredients, many from small artisanal producers and many unique to them.
Crowned the ‘King of flavours’, fresh wasabi is produced by grating the rhizome, or stem of the plant to a very fine paste.
The science bit
Circular grating motions rupture the individual cell walls inside the rhizome, bringing into contact myrosinase enzymes and glucosinolates. This starts a chemical reaction that produces the isothiocyanates responsible for wasabi’s heat.
The flavour and pungency of the paste peaks after 3-5 minutes and holds for just 15-20 minutes before dissipating as the myrosinase is used up. Fresh wasabi has as wonderful piquancy that doesn’t burn, like the shop bought stuff.
This small period of intensity means there is a limited commercial application for fresh wasabi. Did you know the plethora of wasabi covered nuts and crisps or chocolates, dressings, mayonnaise and ice creams on the market all claiming to contain wasabi, probably don’t and if they do, it’s very little. Horseradish, mustard powders, sweeteners, colourings and other additives make up most of the ingredients and real wasabi makes up just a few percent. Even the sachets of ‘wasabi’ that come with supermarket sushi packs are largely made from horseradish.
Real wasabi is freshly grated at the table in good restaurants, and now, thanks to The Wasabi Company, increasingly at home.
Here are some simple ways to use fresh wasabi and other products from The Wasabi Company range to contemporise and transform some classic festive canapes:
Cucumber Cream Cheese Bites
Prep: 15 mins
Ingredients
1 cucumber
1 tub cream cheese
1 small Wasabi rhizome from The Wasabi Company
Black Sesame seeds to garnish
Method
Slice the cucumber into half centimetre pieces.
Using either a teaspoon or a piping bag, add a generous dollop of cream cheese to the top of each slice of cucumber – roughly 1tbsp each.
Just before serving, grate your wasabi using a wasabi grater and, using a small spoon, add a small dot to each.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Mini Tofu Tacos
For a slightly more substantial finger food try these mini tofu tacos – easy to make and so colourful!
Toss cubes of tofu in a little Togarashi Shichimi available from The Wasabi Company (a little goes a long way!) and pan fry.
Either using store bought taco shells, or homemade baked tortilla shells, assemble with some award-winning Wasabi Company Yuzu Mayo, carrot and cucumber strips and garnish with freshly grated wasabi. The Wasabi Company even sells vegan Yuzu Mayonnaise if you need to make a vegan version of this dish.
Togarashi Tofu Tacos
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Ingredients
1 block firm tofu
3 tortilla wraps (or use store-bought taco shells)
Togarashi Shichimi from The Wasabi Company
½ cucumber, skin removed
2 carrots
1 small Wasabi rhizome from The Wasabi Company
1 jar of The Wasabi Company Yuzu Mayonnaise (vegan Yuzu Mayonnaise also available)
Sesame Oil from The Wasabi Company
Method:
If making your own tacos: Preheat the oven to 180°. Using a 10cm cookie cutter, cut as many circles as you can from each wrap – it should yield 4. Turn a muffin tray upside down and place one tortilla circle between each ridge and bake for 5 minutes – allow to cool on the muffin tray. Do this in batches if necessary.
Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes and toss in 1tbsp togarashi shichimi mix to coat.
Add a little sesame oil to a pan and dry the tofu on all sides until golden.
Meanwhile, using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, cut the cucumber and carrot into ribbons.
Assemble your tacos with some Yuzu Mayonnaise in the bottom of the taco, then the carrot and cucumber ribbons before topping with some of the tofu cubes.
Just before serving, grate some wasabi on a wasabi grater and add a small amount to each taco. Serve immediately.
Mini Roast Beef Yorkshires
What could be a more British nibble than mini-Yorkshires and the finest roast beef, but a little wasabi adds an extra punch of heat that’s simply stunning and different to the usual horseradish. Spread a small spoonful of Wasabi Mustard inside a Yorkshire pudding, arrange a slice of cooked roast beef on top and add a small amount of freshly grated wasabi.
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Ingredients
1 frozen pack small Yorkshire puddings
1 jar of The Wasabi Company Mustard
100g roast beef, thinly sliced
1 small rhizome from The Wasabi Company
Method:
Cook the Yorkshire puddings as per the packet instructions
To assemble, spread a thin layer of wasabi mustard around the inside of the Yorkshire pudding. Roll up a slice of roast beef for each pudding and assemble in the centre.
Just before serving, grate the wasabi with a wasabi grater and add a small amount to each. Serve immediately.
Prawn Poppadom
In contrast, these prawn poppadoms add a delicious taste of the orient to your festive favours.
Simply pan fry king prawns in white Miso & butter. Pop a little Wasabi Company Yuzu Mayo on a mini popadom, add a prawn and a dot of Yuzu Kosho. Sprinkle with your favourite Furikake, both available from The Wasabi Company.
We served ours with fresh wasabi leaves to garnish the plate. If there are any left over, these leaves and stalks, grown in The Wasabi Company’s own wasabi beds are great to use for stirring a Bloody Mary if chef requires a little boozy boost!
Miso Butter Prawn Poppadom
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Ingredients
1 bag mini poppadom
1 pack king prawns
30g butter
1tbsp miso from The Wasabi Company
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jar of The Wasabi Company Yuzu Mayonnaise
Red Yuzu Kosho from The Wasabi Company
Yuzu Furikake from The Wasabi Company
Method:
- In a pan, heat the butter, miso and garlic together. Add the prawns and cook, tossing them in the butter for a couple of minutes each side, until cooked through.
- To assemble, start with a mini poppadom and add 1tsp Yuzu Mayonnaise in the bottom, then lay the cooked prawn on top.
- Using a small spoon, add a small amount of Red Yuzu Kosho to each prawn – approximately 1/2tsp and sprinkle with a little furikake.
Serve immediately and enjoy warm.
With a few simple tricks, and high-quality, authentic Japanese products from The Wasabi Company you can impress your guests with classic canapes with a contemporary Japanese twist to get the festive season underway in style.
To explore the full Wasabi Company range and to experiment with your own flavour additions, visit www.thewasabicompany.co.uk
