Tandoori Yoghurt Fish with Cucumber and Mint yogurt.

This is not a new nor is it a particularly original recipe.  It however is one of my favorites.  I was working as a cook on a private motor yacht in the south of France when I first fell in love with this recipe.  Working on a yacht probably sounds like a luxurious life and it does have it's perks but in general, when you are working, it really is hard work.  You work long hours and you work hard.  Mean while you are cruising around the Mediterranean, pulling into the most glamorous ports, dropping anchor in beautiful secluded bays; but the staff certainly aren't the one's to soak it all up.  The guests are rich and more often than not demanding.  As most of us would be if we firstly had the money to buy such a life style and secondly had spent that much on the experience.
Producing meals and keeping it varied  for guests whom are on board for a couple of weeks straight requires some imagination.  Not that this meal is unique and serving it on this particular vegetable base is a bit of a schizophrenic mix.  It IS quick and simple to prepare, and I love the flavours.

Tandoori Fish with Cucumber Mint yogurt

Oven Hot - 250 deg Celsius
800gr fish filleted (white meaty fish, or a salmon can work)

2-3 cups of Greek yogurt (natural & unsweetened)

1 teaspoon of tandoori paste or powder

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1-2 lemons (zested then juiced)

1 cucumber grated

hand full of mint finely chopped

hand full of oregano finely chopped

2 fennel bulbs

2 shallotts

3-4 desire potatoes

2 zucchinis chopped

Firstly cut the fish into serving sized portions (sometimes I will cube Salmon and after marination put it onto a skewer stick, otherwise potion sized fillet pieces works)

Prepare the marinade by mixing 1.5 cups of yogurt with garlic and tandoori spice (if marinating for a shorted period you can add salt and lemon juice, if marinating overnight or for a few hours sprinkle salt and lemon just before cooking, the salt and lemon actually cook the fish by curing it when added to a marinade)

Smother the fish in the marinade and leave for a minimum of 1 hour and max of 24 hours.

Grate the cucumber, sprinkle a little salt over it and leave to drain in a strainer (the salt draws the liquid out of the cucumber)

Cut the potatoes into rounds about half a centimeter thick

Thinly slice the shallots and fennel, saving the fronds to serve

Toss these in a baking dish with the lemon zest and oregano, also some olive oil and salt.

Bake in the hot oven for 15 - 20 mins turning a couple of times

Then add the zucchini  and bake on a lower heat for another 10-15 mins until all veg cooked. At the same time put the fish in the oven to bake.

Whilst the vegetables are baking, push the excess liquid out of the cucumber.  Then mix it with the yogurt and mint adding a little lemon juice and salt to taste.

Serve as a stack with potatoes on the bottom, then fish and topped with the cucumber yogurt.  Garnish with fennel fronds.