Fresh From the Patty Fields: A Bunbelievable Rice Burger Recipe

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For centuries the burger has conquered hunger worldwide, and while there have been numerous variations on the patty theme – beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, codfish, mushroom, tofu, you name it – the iconic sandwich's two buns with a protein midsection construction has remained relatively unchanged (sorry low-carb lettuce wrap option, you're just not the same). However, in 1987 famed Japanese fast-food restaurant MOS Burger challenged this canonical dish with the invention of their rice burger. What started as a novel player on the scene quickly garnered a devout following thanks to the irresistible crunch of the rice bun, unique seasoning, and relatively healthy ingredients.

Though making the rice buns may sound like a pain compared to purchasing a classic bread option from the supermarket, it's actually pretty easy, so long as you know how to properly cook your rice. Since we can't promise there will be a rice burger available at this year's Burger Fest, Sep 18-20 at Wangjing Walk, we decided to share a simple teriyaki chicken rice burger recipe that you can try at home. And of course, feel free to swap the teriyaki chicken for Kong Pao chicken, roasted duck, spicy craw shrimp, or anything else that you prefer.

CHICKEN TERIYAKI RICE BURGER
INGREDIENTS

    RICE BUN

•     8 cups cooked sushi rice or medium-grain rice (Sticky enough but not too mushy)

•     1 tablespoon sesame oil

•     1/2 teaspoon Sichimi Togarashi chili flakes

•     1 teaspoon sesame seeds (Either white or black is fine)

•     Seaweed sheets, to decorate

   CHICKEN TERIYAKI 

•     450g skin-off chicken thighs, chopped into 2.5cm pieces

•     2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

•     1/4 teaspoon salt

•     1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or vegetable oil

•     2 tablespoons sake (A bit more if you want to marinate the chicken beforehand)

•     1 tablespoon honey (A bit more if you want to marinate the chicken beforehand)

•     1 tablespoon mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)

•     1 tablespoon soy sauce

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DIRECTIONSStart by preparing the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to a large bowl and mix well with the ginger and salt. You can also add a bit of sake and honey to deepen the flavor. Cover and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes.To make the rice burger buns, spray egg rings with vegetable oil (to prevent the rice from sticking) then take a large handful of rice and press into an egg ring trying to get it as compact and full as possible. Gently push the rice out of the egg ring and set aside. Repeat with remaining rice.Heat a large heavy bottom frying pan over medium heat. Add 1/2 the sesame oil and then four rice buns and cook until lightly golden on each side. Personally speaking, I may add another layer of liquid starch on the top of the bun to create the extra crunchy, snow-flake like crust. Remove from heat and sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds and chili flakes. Repeat with the remaining sesame oil and rice buns.Remove the chicken from the fridge and pat dry with a paper towel, removing some of the ginger if necessary. Place the chicken in the pan and toss until lightly golden on all sides. Add 1 tablespoon of the sake and quickly place a lid on the pan to steam the chicken for about 2-3 minutes.

In a small bowl mix the remaining sake, honey, mirin, and soy and stir well. Remove the lid from the chicken and use a paper towel to wipe up any excess liquid in the pan. Add the sake mixture, turn the heat up to high, and while the mixture is bubbling, continuously toss the chicken until evenly coated with sauce. When the mixture has thickened and the chicken glazed, remove from heat.

To assemble the burger, take one of the rice buns and top with butter lettuce or perilla leaf, my favorite veggie for Asian style BBQ. Add the teriyaki chicken and then top with another rice bun wrapped in a sheet of nori. Serve immediately.

Images: DailyDelicious, Chewtown

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