Tandoori spiced sea bream

Tandoori spiced sea bream

Simple to prep but with pretty special results, this Indian-inspired menu from MasterChef winner Dhruv Baker makes a romantic meal for two

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 10 mins

Plus chilling
Freezable

Freeze butter only

Method

  1. Mix the tandoori butter ingredients, plus some seasoning, in a small food processor or with a hand-held blender until smooth. Scrape onto cling film, then use the cling film to help you roll it into a cylinder. Twist the ends to seal in the butter and chill until firm. The butter will last in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  2. Heat a heavy-based frying pan with a drizzle of oil until really hot. Season the fish, then place in the pan, skin-side down, and cook for 4-5 mins until crisp and almost cooked through. Carefully turn over, add a good tbsp of tandoori butter to the pan and spoon it over the fish as it melts. Serve straight away with the Crushed saffron potatoes and Green beans with coconut (recipes below), with any pan juices poured over.
Try

Strawberry shortbread cardamom pots

Whip a small pot double cream with just enough sugar to sweeten. Crush 3-4 cardamom pods to remove the seeds, then finely crush the seeds before stirring into the cream with lots of sliced strawberries and 3-4 crumbled shortbread fingers. Spoon into pretty pots and eat with extra shortbread.

Green beans with coconut

Blanch 140g trimmed green beans in boiling, salted water for 2-3 mins until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Fry 1 tsp black or brown mustard seeds and 2 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut in 2 tsp sunflower oil for 1-2 mins until golden and fragrant. Stir in the beans until warmed through, then serve with the fish and potatoes.

Crushed saffron potatoes

Cook 300g new potatoes in boiling, salted water until tender. Meanwhile, soften a pinch saffron in a drop of warm water. Drain the cooked potatoes and return to the pan over a low heat. Add 25g butter, the saffron and plenty of seasoning. Roughly crush together with a whisk or fork, then serve with the fish.

Per serving

225 kcalories, protein 26g, carbohydrate 0g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 0g, salt 0.42 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, September 2010.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo knickers

    01 September 2010

    knickers rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    this was absolutely deliscious and very simple to make. we particularly enjoyed the safron potatoes which you could use with any number of other dishes . perfect dinner party dish !

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  • Binder photo risait Carys

    25 September 2010

    risait Carys rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Lovely recipe!! Might change the green beans next time...use coconut milk maybe to make a creamed green beans. Used sea trout as sea bream was not available. Rest of the tandoori butter will work well with some chicken breast I think.

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  • Binder photo thynk2much

    03 January 2011

    thynk2much rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this with sea bass as a romantic New Year's Eve dinner for two, including the potatoes, beans and dessert. All SO gorgeous and SO easy. Will absolutely make this again. Agree that this would be great for a dinner party as well.

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  • Binder photo Karen

    08 February 2011

    Karen commented on this recipe

    suitable for other types of fish too. great recipe. we plated up a square of baked polenta (simon rimmer recipe) topped with italian butter beans, then the fish on top garnished with coriander. recommended.

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  • Binder photo Caroline

    04 March 2011

    Caroline rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Really delicious. We made the saffron potatoes too and they were equally as delicious. However the house stank of the fish and spices the next day so possibly in future I'll roast the fish in the oven with the butter.

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  • Binder photo Marianne

    05 March 2011

    Marianne rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I was very impressed with this, I wasn't convinced at first that just adding the butter at the end would really impart much flavour but it ended up beautifully spiced. I loved having left over butter in the freezer to pull out when I wanted it, and would definately reccomend the saffron potatoes too.

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  • Binder photo Cooking Babe

    15 May 2011

    Cooking Babe rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Fabulous recipe and so quick and easy. I used Monkfish and it worked well. The potatoes and beans were also very tasty and made the whole meal very special. I will definitely be cooking this again. Can we have more of Dhruv's recipes please.

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  • Binder photo Toffee Apple

    31 August 2011

    Toffee Apple rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Lovely recipie. I have used this butter on Sea bass & River Cobbler too, great result. Also put a disc of the butter on hubbys sirloin steak before I served it, he loved it!

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  • Binder photo Rubycat

    24 April 2013

    Rubycat commented on this recipe

    I made this for my husband and fish loving, MasterChef loving 9 year old. We all absolutely devoured it and I agree with previous posts; the butter is so versatile. I will definitely make it again. The green bean mix was gorgeous and they went back to the pan for the scrapings after they'd finished the dish. I would put hotter chili into the butter mix next time.

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  • Binder photo Rubycat

    24 April 2013

    Rubycat rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo lizleicester

    28 April 2013

    lizleicester rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Used whole sea bream and served them with salad. Lovely, healthy meal with really delicious tandoori butter that will go with lots of other dishes.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 2

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 20 mins

Cook time

Cook 10 mins

Plus chilling
Freezable

Freeze butter only

Ingredients

FOR THE TANDOORI BUTTER

  • 1 tsp garlic paste (blend lots of peeled garlic with a little vegetable oil, then freeze in ice cube trays)
  • 1 tsp ginger paste (made as above)
  • 2 green chillies
  • ¼ tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • juice ½ lime
  • 100g unsalted butter
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Per serving

225 kcalories, protein 26g, carbohydrate 0g, fat 13 g, saturated fat 5g, fibre 0g, salt 0.42 g

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