One of my dreams is to have an outdoor oven one day. I have grand visions of making pizzas, naans, tandoori meats, and feeding my friends in my fictional backyard. But until then, my oven will just have to do! To get a good char, I like to first bake in the oven and then finish under the high heat of the broiler.

For my birthday this year, I decided to treat myself to some tandoori salmon. I had a lean, wild-caught sockeye salmon; there wasn’t a lot of fat, so keeping the cooking time in check was crucial to not end up with dry salmon. The tandoori marinade with yogurt also helped preserve some of the moisture. I served with the classic quick-pickled red onions, some green beans, and roasted potatoes.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the salmon marinade:

• 1.5-2 lb salmon fillet

• 1/4 yogurt

• 1 tbsp grated ginger

• 1 tbsp grated garlic

• 2 tsp coriander

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1/2 tsp garam masala

• 1/4 tsp turmeric

• 1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp salt

• 3 tsp oil, divided

For the onions and to serve:

• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

• Lime juice

• Salt to taste

• Cilantro and/or mint to garnish

Method

Mix all of the spices, ginger, garlic, yogurt, and 1 tsp oil in a bowl. Apply the marinade to the fish and let marinate 2-4 hours in the refrigerator. Once you’re ready to cook, bring out the fish and let it sit outside for 15 mins.

While the fish comes to room temperature, prepare the onions. Thinly slice and season with lime juice and salt. Mix well with your fingers and set aside.

Back to the fish! Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a baking sheet with some oil and place the fish fillet on top. Drizzle the remaining 2 tsp oil over the fish. Cook for 15 mins.

Turn the broiler on high and place the fish in a rack right underneath. Cook for 3-4 mins, or until you start to see charring.

Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 mins. Squeeze a little lime juice and garnish with herbs to serve!