Seafood Doria is a popular type of Doria (ドリア). Doria is a rice gratin dish that originated in France, but is now a popular Japanese staple food. Doria is a layered casserole made with rice and meat topped with sauce (usually French Béchamel sauce but sometimes also tomato sauce) and topped with cheese.
Béchamel Sauce is a French whitle sauce which is simple to make – butter and flour are cooked into a roux and then milk is slowly mixed in to get it to the right color and consistency. Sometimes spices are added such as salt or nutmeg to give it a unique flavor.
Seafood Doria can be prepared to be relatively bland, but it is also delicious when when spices are added to the Béchamel Sauce. I like to use paprika in my Seafood Doria to give the dish a little color along with a kick. I also use salt, black pepper, and onion powder to give the dish a savory, umami flavor. I like to prepare a very thick sauce that is spread over the rice with a spatula. This ensures the top of the rice is more heavily spiced, but the flavor of the fried rice stands out as well. If you prefer a more blended taste then you can make the sauce creamier so it pours over the rice and soaks through – simply add another 1/2 cup of milk when making the sauce. Keep in mind that the sauce will thicken a bit when adding the spices, so make sure that you have some extra milk on hand if you prefer a creamier sauce.
I like to load my fried rice up with lots of seafood. Scallops, squid, shrimp, octopus, mussels all go great in Doria. The cheese topping is also key. Gouda, mozzarella and cheddar all lend a unique flavor and you can use only one cheese or any mix of the three. You can also experiment with other cheeses – try American, Swiss, Gruyère or any cheese that you like. You can also use Parmesan cheese to give the dish some extra flavor.
Seafood Doria can be frozen in the baking pan or in smaller, individual foil containers, before cooking and then heated up later. Be sure to add some extra time in the oven if the Doria is frozen.