Serve Wasabi Mashed Potatoes With Your Steak For A Hint Of Heat

Flavored mashed potatoes are not a new thing. It is so easy to elevate the humble dish — from adding fresh herbs to the finished product to infusing the butter with herbs or spices — that we should do it more often. Here is a pro tip: If you plan on serving mashed potatoes with a juicy steak and like to spice things up with a bit of a kick, try adding a yummy Japanese twist to your mash with wasabi. This pairing works since the strong, pungent flavor of wasabi contrasts with the richness of the creamy mash and ups the umami level of the steak.

Pure wasabi, or Japanese horseradish, is not easy to find fresh, and if you find it, it will be expensive. The wasabi available in regular supermarkets or specialty Asian shops contains a small portion of real wasabi and is mostly comprised of horseradish and mustard powder. However, this is the wasabi that you've eaten many times at your favorite sushi house and it will do the trick just fine. It comes in a small tin in powder form or as a paste in a little tube. You can use either, or even a combination of the two, to flavor your mashed potatoes.

To make the best mashed potatoes, cut them into even-sized pieces and start them in cold water to cook them evenly. Add salt to the water so they absorb the seasoning throughout. Whether you are using olive oil or butter, you want to infuse it with the wasabi so the flavor spreads evenly through the whole mash. To do this, heat the oil gently, or if using butter, heat it until just melted. Take it off the heat then add the wasabi and stir until dissolved. The amount of wasabi depends on your taste and how much heat and flavor you want to infuse. Start with about 1/2 teaspoon of powder and one teaspoon of paste per pound of potatoes, then taste your infusion. You can always add more wasabi if you want but do it slowly. A little goes a long way.

You can start with this simple recipe for creamy garlic mashed potatoes and add the wasabi to the oil or butter before mashing, or take dinner to a steakhouse surf-and-turf level by adding the wasabi to this decadent lobster mashed potatoes. If you like to marinate your steak, add a touch of soy sauce to the marinade for a punchy and savory Asian touch.