Seafood Doria

There are so many things I miss about Japan, but one of the biggest is the food. Not the usual Japanese food that most people think about like sushi and tempura. Honestly, I don't even think I had that very often in Japan and besides I can get that here in San Francisco. No, the things I miss are everyday foods that are hard to find here: okonomiyaki, takoyaki, tonkatsu, and doria. Now the first three things I have managed to figure out to make myself, but I could never find a doria recipe. What is Doria, you may ask? Well, it's a yummy rice dish with béchamel sauce, cheese, shrimp, scallops, and mushrooms. Okay, how yummy does that sound?!!!

So, I have been obsessing about Doria for awhile now, but could never find a recipe. I honestly searched and searched and searched. I finally found one on Google Books so I had to buy the cookbook, Let's Cook Japanese Food! by Amy Kaneko. This is a great cookbook for those of you that have lived in Japan and miss those every day foods we just can't get where we are now.

I have modified the recipe a bit, but not much. Below are my instructions. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Béchamel (White) Sauce

• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup Gruyere cheese
• A pinch of nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of white pepper to taste

Body

• 1/2 pound shrimp - peeled, devained and cut in bit-size pieces
• 1/4 pound scallops - cut in bite-size pieces
• 1/2 - 2/3 cups white wine
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1/2 yellow or white onion, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped white mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 or 2 small cloves)
• Pinch of white pepper
• 2 cups cooked white rice at room temperature (leftover rice is fine and dandy)

Topping

• 1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese (or other mild white cheese)
• 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish
3. Combine cut shrimp and scallops with white wine and let stand at room temperature for at least ten minutes
4. Make béchamel Sauce ....
5. Melt 4 Tablespoons butter over meduim heat in a medium saucepan.
6. When butter is foaming, add the flour in small increments and stir constantly to create a smooth paste - about 3 minutes. (Add flour slowly and do not allow it to color)
7. Slowly add the milkd to the flour mixture, stirring constantly. (We don't want lumps!)
8. Cook sauce, stirring constantly until it thinkly coats the back of a spoon - about 5 - 7 minutes.
9. Stir in salt and 1/4 cup cheese
10. Add nutmeg
11. Remove from heat and keep warm
12. In large skillet melt 1 Tablespoon butter over medium heat
13. Add onion and cook until translucent - 4 - 5 minutes
14. Add mushrooms and cook until soft
15. Add the shrimp, scallop and wine to the onions and mushrooms
16. Add garlic, salt, white pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until shrimp and scallops are cooked through - about 5 minutes
17. Remove from heat and drain liquid from the pan into a 2-cup glass measuring cup.
18. Add rice to shrimp mixture and combine
19. Add enough of the white sauce to the measuring cup to measure about 2 cups total (a bit more won't hurt
20. Place rice and shrimp-scallop mixture into prepared baking dish
21. Pour sauce evenly of the rice and shrimp-scallop mixture
22. Sprinkle evenly with 1 to 1 1/2 cups cheese
23. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden brown - about 10 - 12 minutes
24. Sprinkle parsley on top of dish and serve hot.