Tandoori Countdown

This entire menu is tandem-cooked on the barbecue. It can be cooked over charcoal or on a gas grill: The different woods that add a deep, smokey flavor to grilled foods are not appropriate here. The flavors come from the spices and herbs, just as they do when these same foods are cooked in a charcoal-fueled tandoor oven.

The cooking needs minimal attention, so you and your guests can relax with a beer and talk. Here’s the cooking countdown, predicated on continued hot coals through the cooking of the entire meal:

* 1 hour, 15 minutes before serving, place the potatoes around the edge of the barbecue, not over the coals but still where it’s hot.

* 25 minutes before serving, start cooking the chicken over the coals.

* 8 minutes before serving, cook the tandoori “salad” over the coals.

* 5 minutes before serving, brown the butter on the stove top.