Was-aaaa-bi… Mayo, that is.

I’m a huge fan of wasabi. When I was in my wild n’ crazy 20’s I worked at a local sushi bar and absolutely fell in love with the stuff.

I distinctly recall serving a scoop of it in dessert cup under the guise of green tea ice cream to an obnoxiously drunk guest one night. Happy birthday, free dessert!

He threw up, we had a good laugh, I got a stern ‘talking to’ by the manager, all in all a pretty successful shift. This is me, allowing you a brief look at my darker side.

Back to the wasabi at hand. It’s spicy, but in such a good way. Especially when you mix it with mayo, yogurt, garlic and ginger then slather it on a bun as a spicy (yet cool) cohort to this guy:

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Sandwiches with Wasabi Mayo

makes 4 servings
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 slices fresh pineapple
8 – 10 fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
salt & pepper to taste
4 sandwich or burger rolls (I used whole wheat because they were on sale. If you’re not cheap like me, go for fresh baked ciabatta rolls)

Clean chicken breasts of any excess grossness (You’ll notice I’m compulsive about cleaning grossness from all meats. It’s your call.) Brush with vegetable oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Clean and core the pineapple then cut into 1/2″ thick slices. Juice the lime into a small bowl.

Grill chicken breasts, brushing a few times during cooking with the lime juice. Remove from grill and cover with foil to rest around 10 minutes. Place pineapple rings on grill racks away from direct heat and grill for a few minutes on each side. Remove from heat and let them rest while you’re making the most delicious condiment you might ever taste. Unless you’re the drunk guy who probably still has nightmares of eating spoonfuls of wasabi to this day. If you are him, I’m still not sorry. 🙂

Wasabi Mayo

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 – 2 tbsp wasabi (depending on your spicy level)
1 garlic clove (chopped)
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir to combine.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread wasabi mayo on both sides of the bun. Add one chicken breast, one slice of grilled pineapple and a few fresh leaves of basil.

Put the top bun in his rightful place. Pick it up. Take a bite. Mmmmmm. Wasabi Mayo.

OMFG. SO GOOD.