Avocado Toast, but Make it Fashion

Trust me, this will beat that $20 avo toast you had at bottomless brunch, guaranteed

Ever wonder how we got to the point that certain foods became so controversial, so baggage ridden that people think twice before ordering it at a restaurant or even talking about it? I’m not even talking about something that may be troublesome because it’s rare or potentially harming some endangered species, but something that can be easily made with ingredients found in any corner grocery store.

Yes, after 8 years, I’m finally covering Avocado Toast. The much loved and equally disparaged symbol of millennial excess and waste that also happens to be delicious and the perfect blank canvas for whatever you’re craving. 

Oh, you never thought about dressing up your avocado toast? And no, adding an egg on top does not count as “dressing up”. I mean adding toppings that make you go “Huh. Never thought of that”. Well, today I’m gonna teach you a new combo that marries east Asian flavors with your beloved breakfast staple and hopefully open your eyes to a new world of what avocado toast can be.

So get to the grocery store and drain our down payment funds, cause we’re making avocado toast.

Let’s dive in.

This is your canvas - paint wisely

A Blank Canvas

Avocado toast should really be treated as the blank template it is. On its own, avocados score high on texture, but let’s be real, its flavor intensity is more of a gentle whisper than a scream at the top of your lungs. So it’s a perfect foundation to layer on bold flavors and contrasting ingredients to take things to the next level.

Now bear with me: how does furikake, hoisin sauce, and crispy onions sound?

For this avocado toast, I was inspired by my favorite sushi growing up - unagi, or eel. I would eat that sh*t up like it was my last meal on earth when I was little and would beg my parents to get an extra order of maki or an eel avocado roll whenever we went to a sushi restaurant. The balance of savory-sweet grilled eel, rich and creamy avocado, and chewy rice just...worked.

Anyways, in case you’re scratching your head about what furikake (fur-ee-cah-kay) is, it’s a melange of sesame seeds, dried seaweed, salt, a little sugar, and sometimes dried fish and other ingredients often used as a rice topping in Japan. Vegetarian and vegan versions are also common that omit the seafood. If your supermarket has an international aisle, it’ll probably be right next to the rest of the Japanese ingredients like wasabi and sesame seeds. If not, the internet is your friend.

So, for this avocado toast, I pulled some of those familiar flavors by using hoisin sauce to provide that sweet-savory hit, furikake as a nod to the seaweed in my beloved eel rolls, and because I love extra texture, crispy onions to add crunch. But let’s be real, crispy onions also just make just about anything better anyway.

There’s also no fancy technique here - just layer the ingredients on - sprinkling and drizzling on your toppings to taste, and voila, you’re done.

What you get is a Japanese-Chinese fusion of flavors which works better than you may expect. I recommend trying it out the next time you’re looking for a snack, light lunch, or even as an appetizer (Just cut it into little triangles, NEVER squares, you heathen).

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Furikake Avocado Toast with Hoisin and Crispy Onions
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 slice of wheat bread, toasted (any sturdy bread works)
• 1 half avocado, sliced thin
• 1 tsp hoisin sauce
• Furikake to taste
• Crispy fried onion or shallots
• Salt

Directions:

1. Toast your bread to your desired doneness
2. Lay on the thinly sliced avocado, covering the bread evenly
3. Sprinkle on a touch of salt on the avocado
4. Top avocado with furikake to taste
5. Drizzle hoisin sauce over avocado
6. Finally, top with a sprinkle of crispy fried onions. Serve immediately