Tandoors are top-loading, wood-fired, clay ovens used across India and, with slight variation in construction and name, in many parts of southwest Asia. Breads like naan are hand stretched and slapped against the sides of the tandoor, where they stick until they’re done, minutes later. Marinated meats and vegetables are skewered on long metal poles and stood in the center of the oven, where the intense, dry heat roasts them quickly.

I thought it was hard enough to handle a real wok in Charles Phan’s kitchen or to stand next to James Boyce’s smelting furnace of a flattop, but tandoors are in a class by themselves—neither Suvir nor I could even hope to cook in the one at his restaurant. His co-chef Hemant Mathur, who handles all the tandoor cooking, just smiled amusedly when I tried to see how long I could hold my hand over it—microseconds. Hemant is so well acclimated he deals with it unfazed.

But it’s the often spicy and frequently yogurt-based marinade used for foods headed to the tandoor that have given way to the looser and more colloquial usage of “tandoori,” generally referring to dishes that are marinated in a tandoori style—like this Tandoori Shrimp or Kerry Simon’s Salmon Tandoori. And though the heat of the tandoor imparts a distinctive flavor, anyone can produce tandoori-style foods at home.

Grilled Tandoori Prawns: When you’re ready to cook (Step 3 above), start a charcoal or gas grill; the fire should be very hot—you should barely be able to hold your hand over the core of it—and set the rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Grill the shrimp for 3 minutes on each side; let rest 15 minutes off the grill, then brush with the butter and grill 5 to 10 more minutes, until cooked through.