The Tandoor: 400 Degrees, Zero Shortcuts

There is a clay oven in our kitchen that weighs more than I do. Getting it to Altea was a project in itself -- shipped from India, carried through our narrow door by four people, and installed by a specialist who flew in from London. Some restaurants use a gas grill and call it tandoori. We wanted the real thing.

Our tandoor runs at over 400 degrees Celsius. At that heat, things happen fast. The yoghurt marinade on the chicken caramelises in minutes. The edges char. The inside stays juicy. You get that smoky flavour that you simply cannot fake with a regular oven. Every night before service, we fire it up and it stays burning until the last order goes out.

The Tandoori Chicken is the dish I am most proud of. We marinate whole chicken legs overnight -- yoghurt, lemon, and a spice blend that my family has used for as long as I can remember. When it comes out of the tandoor, it is red-orange, slightly blackened at the tips, and the meat pulls away from the bone. We serve it with raw onion rings, a squeeze of lemon, and our green mint chutney. Simple. No tricks.

The tandoori prawns are for people who want something lighter. Big prawns, garlic, lemon, and the tandoor does the rest. They come out smoky and sweet, and they disappear from the plate in about ninety seconds. I have timed it.

If you cannot decide, get the Mixed Tandoori Platter. Chicken tikka, lamb seekh kebab, prawns, and paneer tikka all on one plate, still sizzling. It is made for sharing, but I will not judge you if you keep it to yourself.

We are at Carrer del Consol 11 in Altea, just up from the seafront. Come hungry.

Book a table: +34 632 02 45 23 Open: Tuesday to Sunday, 1pm-4pm and 7pm-11pm