Add An Extra Spicy Kick To Your Deviled Eggs With One Japanese Ingredient

Deviled eggs have been upgraded with countless ingredients over the years: From a slather of gochujang to a swipe of blended avocado to a sprinkling of chopped bacon, it's not difficult to spruce up the traditional recipe, which is fairly simple and lends itself to versatility. As with many recipes, it never hurts to add a spicy kick if you're going for something more daring.

If you're looking for a new way to add that spicy kick, you can try wasabi, the beloved green paste that often materializes in a small clump on your takeout sushi tray. The fiery, intense ingredient originates from a thick root grown in Japan and is commonly compared to horseradish. In fact, most wasabi you'll find in the United States is actually an imitation of the original plant, concocted with horseradish and other fixings. Either way, wasabi — whether it's the real stuff or an imitation — provides an unexpected addition when assembling deviled eggs for your next barbecue or potluck.

A typical, run-of-the-mill deviled egg contains just a few ingredients; typically, boiled egg yolk is mixed with mayonnaise, mustard, and some simple seasonings, namely salt and paprika. Some recipes, like this one for easy deviled eggs, also call for crème fraîche for a touch of creaminess. But when working with wasabi, be sure to omit mustard from your ingredient list. Why? Mustard is acidic and occasionally spicy, and that latter flavor note can be replaced by wasabi.

As we've mentioned, wasabi is no joke. A small taste of the stuff can easily make your eyes water, so use it sparingly, particularly if you're planning to serve it to guests who might have varying levels of tolerance for spicy food. Mix six boiled egg yolks with 3 tablespoons of crème fraîche and 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, adding pinches of salt to taste. Start with a teaspoon or so of wasabi paste, mixing it in and tasting as you go before deciding whether you'd like to add more. Adjust to your liking, and for extra flare, pipe the mixture through a makeshift pastry bag. Top with a garnish of furikake — a hard-to-resist Japanese blend of seaweed, sesame seeds, and dried bonito flakes.