Usually I would never even think of putting salmon and tandoori seasoning together, but this recipe works. Actually it more than works, it's one of my family's very favorite Jamie Oliver [1] recipes. The salmon holds up well to the curry flavors, and the cucumber salad adds a slight cooling effect. You can use store bought naan breads, but I like to use my own No-Fail Flatbread recipe [2]. Don't make the cucumber salad ahead of time, as the liquid from the cucumbers waters down the yogurt and makes it runny.
Ingredients:
2 naan or other flat breads
1 fresh red chile, finely chopped
1/2 a cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise and the seeds/pulp in the middle scooped out with a spoon
1 lemon
1/4 cup plain Greek style yogurt
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
two 7 oz filets of salmon, skin on , cut into ½ inch long slices
1 heaped tablespoon tandoori or mild curry paste, such as Patak’s
olive oil
Roughly chop the cucumber and place in a sieve over a bowl to drain while you assemble the rest of the ingredients.
Pre-heat the oven to about 225 F and place the naan into the oven to warm through.
Set your salmon on a plate and dry it off with some paper towel. Spoon some tandoori paste into a small container and then spoon and smear it all over the salmon (never let the spoon that touched the salmon go back into the main jar). Get a pan good and hot over medium heat, add a bit of olive oil, and then add the salmon to the pan, skin side down. It will crackle and pop somewhat, but don’t worry. Cook on each side about a minute and a half, until cooked through. As each piece is cooked, remove from the pan and set aside on a clean plate.
In a small bowl stir together the yogurt, chile and cucumber, sprinkling in salt and pepper to taste.
Serve the salmon on the flatbread, with a dollop of the cucumber salad. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Squeeze a little lemon juice over top to finish.
Serves 2
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution