Crispy Rice Tuna Burger

Let's Cook

1. 1Prepare the Rice Base

   5 min

   Cook 1 cup rice according to the package directions. Spread it in a thin layer on a plate or sheet pan so the steam escapes, and leave it about 5 minutes. You want it warm and tacky to the touch, not hot and billowing steam.

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   Leftover rice from the fridge works and saves you the cooling wait. Warm it briefly so it turns tacky again before you season and press it.

2. 2Fry the Rice

   10 min

   Scrape the rice into a bowl. Add the paprika, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and a pinch of the black pepper, keeping the rest back for the fish, and stir until the paprika colors the grains evenly. Pack it into a small baking dish in a layer about 3/4 inch thick, pressing hard with the back of a spoon until the top is smooth and no loose grains lift away. Refrigerate 10 minutes. It is ready when it holds a fingerprint and comes away from the dish as one slab.

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   Line the dish with plastic wrap or parchment first. The slab then lifts out whole instead of being dug out in chunks.

3. 3Prepare the Tuna Filling

   4 min

   Cut four rounds with a cookie cutter or the rim of a small glass, re-pressing scraps to fill out the fourth. Set a dry nonstick skillet over medium heat and lay the rounds in without crowding. Leave them alone for 3 to 4 minutes. Listen for a steady crackle and look for browned, freckled edges; the cake will release on its own when the crust has set. Flip and repeat, then set aside.

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   Nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron only. Rice welds itself to bare stainless steel, and the crust stays in the pan instead of on the burger.

4. 4Assemble the Burger

   2 min

   Cut the ahi into 1/4-inch cubes with a sharp knife, working straight from the fridge. Add the remaining salt, the rest of the pepper and 1 tablespoon of the spicy orange sauce, then fold gently until every cube is coated and glossy. Serve raw only if the fish is sushi-grade and was previously frozen; otherwise sear the cubes in the hot skillet until opaque throughout and 145°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 2 minutes.

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   Cold fish cuts into clean cubes; fish that has warmed up smears and shreds under the blade. Keep it refrigerated until the moment you dice.

5. 5Step 5

   Slice the avocado and shave the red onion as thin as you can. Spread the last tablespoon of sauce over two rice rounds, pile on the tuna, then add avocado and a few onion slivers. Cap with the remaining rounds, press down lightly, and eat right away while the crust is still audible.

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   Slice the onion against the grain, paper-thin. Thick pieces bully the tuna and slide out sideways when you press the top cake down.