Fish in Tahini – Tahini-Baked Fish with homemade raw tahini

👨‍🍳 Method

To assemble

1. 1
   Grind the sesame seeds in a powerful blender about 3 minutes, until smooth paste forms.

   Blender

   💡At first the sesame looks like dry crumbs: keep grinding, scraping down the sides, and after a few minutes it releases its oil and turns liquid.

   💡In a food processor, grind in short pulses and check between pulses: it's easy to go from coarse to paste. (Sesame for tahini, on the other hand, is ground continuously.)
2. 2
   Taste and adjust the seasoning.
3. 3
   Mix the tahini, lemon juice and garlic.
4. 4
   Gradually add cold water while stirring, until the sauce is smooth, pale and pourable.

   💡When you add the first water, the tahini thickens and looks like dough: that's fine. Keep adding water and stirring, and it loosens into a smooth sauce.
5. 5
   Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F).

   Oven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
6. 6
   Arrange the onion and the tomatoes on the bottom of the pan.

   Baking pan
7. 7
   Lay the fish on top.
8. 8
   Sprinkle the cumin, turmeric, salt and black pepper over the fish.
9. 9
   Pour the tahini sauce over the fish.
10. 10
    Drizzle the olive oil over the top.
11. 11
    Bake 25–30 minutes, until the fish flakes easily.

    OvenBaking pan

    💡Fish under tahini cooks quickly: check after the shorter time, and take it out as soon as it flakes when pressed with a fork.

    💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
12. 12
    Sprinkle the cilantro on top.
13. 13
    Serve with Arab bread.