If you’ve never tasted fresh wasabi, you should definitely try it. Fresh wasabi paste tastes so much better than the tubes of wasabi paste you find in the supermarket, which often isn’t even real wasabi.
We got a fresh wasabi root to make delicious fresh wasabi paste. Then we used that paste to give a chicken breast a crispy layer.
This is wasabi rhizome. It is the root of a wasabi plant. It is the most valuable part of the plant because it is used to make wasabi paste. You can only find wasabi rhizomes in some places. We found these online.
A whole root is about 50 to 100 grams. For this recipe, we need about 25 grams. To keep the rest of the root as fresh as possible, wrap it in a damp cloth in the fridge. This will keep it good for a few weeks.
You make wasabi paste by rubbing the root gently over a wasabi grater. This leaves a soft green paste that is sharp but much less hot than the fake wasabi made from horseradish.
You don’t have to worry about the chicken getting too hot. The taste of fresh wasabi is relatively mild.
We placed the chicken breasts under a sheet of plastic foil and beat them with a heavy pan. This way, the chicken breast will be evenly thick throughout so it cooks evenly.
Mix the wasabi paste with the egg and dip the flattened chicken breast in it. Then sprinkle the chicken with breadcrumbs. The thicker you get the layer of breadcrumbs, the better.
We have set our kamado to an indirect temperature of 190ºC (374F). That is the perfect temperature to bring this chicken breast to the correct core temperature while the breadcrumb crust turns golden brown. When the chicken breast is ready, you would almost think it was fried.
We insert a core thermometer into the chicken breast to make sure the chicken breast is cooked perfectly. This way, we prevent that we serve raw chicken and ensure it is at its tenderest and juiciest.
This is our wasabi chicken breast sandwich. If you will make these, let us know in the comments below. Or better! Please take a photo and post it on Instagram. Tag @bbqhelden so we can see what you made.
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast
- 2 tbsp grated wasabi root (about 25 grams)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 4 tbsp breadcrumbs
- lamb’s lettuce
- 2 soft white rolls
- Teriyaki Sauce
Instructions
- Prepare a barbecue with an indirect temperature of 190ºC (374F).
- Grate the wasabi root until you have about two heaping tablespoons of wasabi paste. Mix this paste in a bowl with the egg and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Flatten the chicken breast until it has an even thickness, then dip it in the wasabi/egg mix.
- Sprinkle the chicken breast with the breadcrumbs until you no longer see any wet parts.
- Place the chicken breast on the grill rack. Insert a thermometer into the meat and close the lid.
- Remove it from the grates when the chicken breast has a core temperature of 75ºC (167F).
- Top the rolls with a handful of lamb’s lettuce, one chicken breast and a generous dollop of teriyaki sauce.
