California Roll Burger

When I go for sushi - which isn't wildly often in the little city where I live - I always get an order of California Rolls.  I do this for a couple of reasons.

1.  I lurv 'em
2.  They're a sushi staple.
3.  If the California Roll is terrible - it bodes badly for the rest of the menu.

So it makes sense to put all my favorite elements of the classic California Roll on a burger (with the bun as a substitute for rice).  Which I found courtesy of Use Real Butter. 

The trick here is to get your hands on Japanese mayo.  I found Kewpie Mayo at Superstore in Edmonton and it's surprisingly delicious! 

Here it is in a picture!  It has a weird little baby doll picture and is in a plastic bag in the Asian foods section.  But, I SWEAR, it's so good.  (PS - this picture is from an upcoming post about Japanese Potato Salad)

I made my burgers the same as always, but added 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce instead of the Worcestershire sauce.

 

Then I mixed imitation crab meat (real crab is hard to come by in town!) with the Japanese mayo.  I didn't want it to be too soupy, but I wanted it to kind of stick together.

 

Top with creamy, fresh, gorgeous, beautiful avocado......  *sigh*. Isn't it glorious?

 

And then top with strips of nori. While it's hard sometimes to get cream cheese or big bags of flour in town - getting nori for sushi is surprisingly easy.  (I know - it makes my head hurt too)

 

 

I smeared more Japanese mayo on the top bun.  Just for kicks.



 

And you know what?  It was pretty damn good!  The creamy sweet crab and avocado, the salty nori, the rich juicy burger patty - absolutely loved it!

 

Now - if you happen to be able to get your hands on that crazy delicious orange fish roe (no really, I love it!), put that on too.  And pickled ginger!  Also - Jen (from Use Real Butter) made a wasabi mayo to top these burgers with.  That would be awesome too. 

 

I definitely would do this again!  It was so unusual and fresh - a perfect summer day treat.

 

xoxo - Heather

California Roll Burger

 

1 batch hamburger patties (substitute 1/2 teaspoon of fish sauce for the Worcestershire)

1 batch hamburger buns

Crab meat (real or imitation, however much you want for the number of people you're serving)

Japanese Mayonnaise

Avocado

Sheets of nori, sliced into thin strips to fit on the burger

Additional ingredients (not featured on my burger)

-Fish roe

-wasabi (to make a wasabi mayo)

-pickled ginger

1. Shred up the crab and mix in mayo to your desired consistency
2. Assemble the burger:  Bottom bun, burger patty, crab meat, (fish roe and pickled ginger if you've got it), slices of avocado, nori, and top bun.

Source:  Use Real Butter