Tandoori-Spiced White Fish Recipe

To serve

Have ready 4 warm serving plates and lay a fillet of fish, spice side up, along the centre of each plate. Drizzle over the warm tandoori vinaigrette. Arrange some spinach on one side and the celeriac garnish on the other.

Variations

The John Dory (St Pierre) fish used in this recipe is widely available in the UK but virtually impossible to find in the USA, except through internet sites. However, USA readers can substitute flounder or even swordfish steaks. Sole can also be used but its delicate flavour will be rather overwhelmed by the tandoori spice powder.

Taken from Eat Well and Stay Slim by Michel Guérard (Frances Lincoln, £25)

Ingredients

4 fillets of John Dory, each 90-100g

1 tbsp tandoori spice powder

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper of your choice

For the vegetable garnish

1 tbsp light vinaigrette

1 tbsp Greek yoghurt

pinch of curry powder

120g celeriac, peeled and cut into matchsticks about 4cm x 3mm

1 tsp olive oil

150g young spinach leaves, though ribs removed, then washed and drained

• For the tandoori vinaigrette

6 tbsp light vinaigrette

2 tsp tandoori spice powder

Method

1. Coat the fillets of fish on one side only with the tandoori spice powder. Cover the fish and set is aside in a cool place.

2. Prepare the first of the vegetables by mixing together in a bowl 1 tablespoon of Light Vinaigrette, the Greek yoghurt and the curry powder. Add the matchsticks of celeriac and turn them in the mixture to coat them evenly. Season to taste and set this celeriac garnish aside in the refrigerator until you are almost ready to serve the fish.

3. For the tandoori vinaigrette, put 6 tablespoons of light vinaigrette into a saucepan. Stir in 2 teaspoons of tandoori spice powder and bring the mixture to the boil. Remove from the heat, adjust the seasoning and keep this tandoori vinaigrette warm, preferably in a bain-marie, while you finish the dish.

4. Coat a non-stick frying pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Over a medium heat, cook the fillets of fish on the spiced side for 3 minutes, then turn them over and cook for a further 3 minutes on the other side.

5. Meanwhile, finish the vegetables by heating the second teaspoon of olive oil in a saucepan, adding the spinach and cooking it quickly until it wilts - about 30 seconds. Drain the spinach in a sieve over a bowl.