I uploaded some photos on social media of my chicken doria dish and I was delighted to see so many likes and comments. My chicken doria is actually a variation of a recipe by Adam Liaw which can be found on the Australian Good Food website. One person on Twitter even added a drooling emoji next to his reply, telling me how hungry he was after seeing the photos, so I thought my followers and readers of this Cherry Blossom Stories Blog would be interested in knowing how I made it. Originally created in France, chicken doria is now eaten predominantly in Japan and it’s very popular. If you want to try it while you’re in the Land of the Rising Sun head to a family restaurant or ファミレス.

FYI, it’s very filling and you only need a small serving. If you’ve never tried it before I can assure you it’s a delicious meal and this recipe will definitely satisfy a family of four.

RENAE’S JAPANESE CHICKEN DORIA チキンドリア

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C or Gas mark 6 425 degrees F

Ingredients

600 grams chicken thigh fillets, sliced into bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 brown onion, peeled and very finely chopped

1 cup frozen peas

3 cups sliced button mushrooms

8 cups steamed short-grain rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup tomato sauce

2 cups grated extra mature cheddar cheese

Finely chopped fresh chives, when serving

White sauce

1/2 a brown onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 bay leaves

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

3 1/2 tablespoons plain flour

3 cups full-cream milk

Method

1. Steam your rice in your rice cooker and leave it on the keep warm setting so it will be ready to add to the rest of the ingredients.

2. Heat the oil in a large wok over a high heat. Add the sliced chicken and fry until lightly browned. Add the onion, mushrooms and peas and toss until the onions and mushrooms are softened. Add the rice, salt, soy sauce and tomato sauce and toss for about five minutes until the rice is coated and fragrant. Transfer this to individual baking dishes or a large Le Creuset rectangular baking dish like the one I used in the photo below.

3. Make the white sauce: in a medium-sized saucepan add the butter and half a finely chopped onion as well as two bay leaves. When the butter has melted remove the bay leaves and add three and a half tablespoons of plain flour. Now, stir this as quickly as possible until the paste becomes smooth. Immediately add a cup of milk and stir frantically again until the paste is smooth. Keep adding milk, half a cup at at time, and stirring until you have a nice creamy and smooth looking white sauce. Only the onion bits should look lumpy. Pour this over the rice combination and cover with grated cheese. My husband loves cheese so I used quite a lot but you can just sprinkle on a thin layer if you prefer. Heat in the oven until the cheese is golden brown. Alternatively, you can grill it if you’re in Japan and you don’t have an oven. Top with finely chopped chives and serve immediately.

You can refrigerate any leftovers and heat it the following day in the oven (cover it with aluminum foil and heat for about 40 minutes) or in the microwave (cover it with cling film and heat it for about four minutes or until the Chicken Doria is hot in the middle).

Bon Appétit!