Name: How To Make Chicken Doria (Japanese Rice Gratin)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 150 g Chicken Thigh (cut into small bite-size pieces); 50 g Sliced Onion; 200-300 g Steamed Rice, 2 servings (approx. 150g of uncooked rice); 10 g Butter; Turmeric Powder (only a small amount), if you like; 1 tsp Olive Oil; 20 g Butter; 1.5 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour; 2 Tbsp White Wine; 350 ml Milk; 1 tsp Consommé Powder; Butter or Olive Oil (for greasing the baking dishes); Salt and Pepper, to taste; 40 g Shredded Cheese; Dried Parsley, as needed; Tabasco (or your favorite Hot Sauce), if you like

How To Make Chicken Doria (Japanese Rice Gratin)-Japanese Taste

Main Chicken Casserole Easy Freezer-friendly Kid-friendly Make ahead One pot Popular Western Yoshoku Under 30 minutes

If you're fed up with just a simple gratin, why not try a Japanese rice gratin, "Doria"?

Doria is a popular dish in Japan, belonging to the Yoshoku genre, and is made with rice and a cream sauce (sauce béchamel). Despite its non-Japanese appearance, it was actually born in Japan.

It is said that Doria was created in 1927 at the Hotel New Grand in Yokohama. The hotel is also known as the place where Napolitan and Pudding à la mode began their history.

There is a story relating to the inception of Doria. Doria was created for a banker who was staying at the hotel. At that time, he was not feeling well, and the chef made something easy to swallow exclusively for him. That is the moment he made a dish where shrimp simmered in cream sauce, gratin sauce, and cheese were topped on the butter rice and grilled in the oven. The dish's name was "Shrimp Doria," the very first Doria in Japan.

When you come to Japan, you can eat Doria at Yoshoku restaurants, family restaurants, and you can buy frozen ready-made Doria at supermarkets. There are variations such as Chicken Doria, Curry Doria, and seafood Doria, so you can find your favorite Doria. In addition to these, don't miss "Doria alla Milanese" at Saizeria, a well-known Italian-style restaurant in Japan. It is made of a combination of meat sauce and white sauce, offering a delightful harmony of flavors.

If you don't have plans to visit Japan, you can still enjoy our Chicken Doria at home! The main ingredient is chicken thigh, and the process is not difficult, so feel free to make it for your lunch or dinner. Once you remember how to make Chicken Doria, you will be able to make various Dorias. You can enjoy arrangements such as substituting chicken thigh for seafood or shrimp and replacing butter rice with ketchup rice, etc.

Enjoy your own Doria at home! Give it a try and relish the delightful flavors of your homemade Doria!

Overview

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Total servings: 2

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

150 g Chicken Thigh (cut into small bite-size pieces)
50 g Sliced Onion
200-300 g Steamed Rice, 2 servings (approx. 150g of uncooked rice)
10 g Butter
Turmeric Powder (only a small amount), if you like
1 tsp Olive Oil
20 g Butter
1.5 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp White Wine
350 ml Milk
1 tsp Consommé Powder
Butter or Olive Oil (for greasing the baking dishes)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
40 g Shredded Cheese
Dried Parsley, as needed
Tabasco (or your favorite Hot Sauce), if you like

Expert's Tip

How To Make Chicken Doria (Japanese Rice Gratin)

If you are not confident enough to make white sauce from scratch, why not consider using this product? It’s a packed white sauce; all you need to do is just heat it up in boiling water for a few minutes. This versatile sauce is perfect not only for Doria but also for gratin, lasagna, pasta, and more!

Instructions

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1) Gathering the Ingredients

Gather the ingredients together.

2) Seasoning the Chicken

Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on the chicken thigh pieces.

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3) Cooking the Chicken and Onions

Pour olive oil into a pot and stir-fry the chicken over medium heat. Once cooked, add the sliced onion and stir-fry again.

To make the sauce 'white,' it is important to avoid burning the ingredients.

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4) Making the White Bechamel Sauce

Add butter and mix well, then sprinkle all-purpose flour over the ingredients and stir-fry to coat them evenly over low to medium heat.

Once the all-purpose flour develops a paste-like texture, pour in the white wine and mix well. Gradually add milk to dissolve the paste, stirring well from the bottom.

5) Seasoning the White Sauce

Add consommé powder and pepper, and mix well. Add salt if needed.

6) Preparing the Rice

Put hot or warmed rice in a bowl and add butter, salt, pepper, and turmeric. Mix well.

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7) Assembling the Doria

To prevent the rice from sticking to the baking dishes, spread some olive oil or butter onto the sides and bottom of them. In our case, we are using ramekins, but any oven-safe dishes are okay.

Place the rice (step 6) into the ramekin, then add the white sauce with ingredients (step 5). Top with shredded cheese.

8) Baking the Doria

Bake them in a toaster oven or a regular oven for about 10 minutes until the surface turns golden brown.

Once baked, sprinkle with dried parsley. You can also add a dash of Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce if you like. Enjoy your homemade Doria!

About the author

Megumi Moriya

Megumi is a recipe writer based in Chiba, Japan. She carries a Bachelor in the Faculty of Foreign Studies and is interested in creating content about Japanese cuisine and traditional confectioneries. Megumi is most interested in making Japanese recipe content, and in her free time, she likes to play the piano, make handcrafted goods, and hula dance. She hopes to inspire Japanese Taste readers to make Japanese recipes at home and of course share more about Japanese culture.

View articles by Megumi Moriya