John Dory Fillets Seared in Indian Pastry with Tomato Cardamom Sauce

Preparation To make the Tomato and Cardamom Sauce, heat the oil until very hot in a heavy-based pot. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Lower the heat and cook over a moderate heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Cook until well caramelised, approximately 1 hour. Add the turmeric, cloves and cardamom, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook slowly for 20 minutes until a thickish sauce forms. Set aside. To make the Indian Pastry, combine the two flours with the salt in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg, yoghurt, oil and water. Mix with a fork until they form a sticky mass, then knead on a bench for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll them out as thinly as possible on a lightly floured bench. Place them between sheets of greaseproof paper and stack them on top of each other and refrigerate until needed. Don't roll them out in advance of the time you need them, as they do not keep well when rolled out. Lay out the pastry sheets on a chopping board and place a fillet at one end. Fold the other half of the sheet over to completely enclose the fish, and trim the pastry right to the edge of the fish. Brush both sides of the pastry with clarified butter and wrap in greaseproof paper. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Repeat with the others. Heat up the sauce and keep warm. Set up a steamer to cook the spinach. Place a heavy-based frying pan on the stove to cook the fish (do 2 at a time). Put 15 ml clarified butter in the pan and heat to almost smoking. Add the fish and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn the fish over with a fish slice (spatula), and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Wipe out the pan and repeat the process. Steam the spinach. To serve, spoon about 100 to 120 ml (1/2 cup) of the Tomato and Cardamom Sauce into the middle of 4 white plates. Place the yoghurt on top and the spinach on the yoghurt. Cut each piece of fish in half and place on top. Serve immediately. Chef Neil Perry shares his tips with Epicurious: From Rockpool by Neil Perry, (C) 2002 New Holland Publishers

Preparation To make the Tomato and Cardamom Sauce, heat the oil until very hot in a heavy-based pot. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Lower the heat and cook over a moderate heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Cook until well caramelised, approximately 1 hour. Add the turmeric, cloves and cardamom, and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook slowly for 20 minutes until a thickish sauce forms. Set aside. To make the Indian Pastry, combine the two flours with the salt in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg, yoghurt, oil and water. Mix with a fork until they form a sticky mass, then knead on a bench for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll them out as thinly as possible on a lightly floured bench. Place them between sheets of greaseproof paper and stack them on top of each other and refrigerate until needed. Don't roll them out in advance of the time you need them, as they do not keep well when rolled out. Lay out the pastry sheets on a chopping board and place a fillet at one end. Fold the other half of the sheet over to completely enclose the fish, and trim the pastry right to the edge of the fish. Brush both sides of the pastry with clarified butter and wrap in greaseproof paper. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Repeat with the others. Heat up the sauce and keep warm. Set up a steamer to cook the spinach. Place a heavy-based frying pan on the stove to cook the fish (do 2 at a time). Put 15 ml clarified butter in the pan and heat to almost smoking. Add the fish and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn the fish over with a fish slice (spatula), and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Wipe out the pan and repeat the process. Steam the spinach. To serve, spoon about 100 to 120 ml (1/2 cup) of the Tomato and Cardamom Sauce into the middle of 4 white plates. Place the yoghurt on top and the spinach on the yoghurt. Cut each piece of fish in half and place on top. Serve immediately. Chef Neil Perry shares his tips with Epicurious: From Rockpool by Neil Perry, (C) 2002 New Holland Publishers