Homemade Whole Sesame Tahini

👨‍🍳 Method

To assemble

1. 1
   Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat 3-4 minutes, stirring, until fragrant. Cool completely.

   ⚙ Dry-Pan ToastingStoveFrying pan

   💡Toast over medium heat and keep things moving: nuts, pine nuts and spices go from toasted to burnt in seconds. Transfer to a plate right away, since the hot pan keeps toasting.
2. 2
   Grind the sesame seeds in a food processor about 2 minutes, until powdered forms.

   ⚙ Grinding in a Food ProcessorFood processor

   💡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.)
3. 3
   Add the canola oil gradually, while the food processor is running, and process 3-4 more minutes, until the paste is smooth.

   ⚙ Fat in a Thin StreamFood processor

   💡The thin stream is everything: fat that goes in too fast can't bind, and the sauce breaks. For mayonnaise and hollandaise, if this happens, start with a fresh yolk and slowly add the broken sauce to it; if the sauce is too thick, thin it with a teaspoon of water.
4. 4
   Add the salt and process until creamy.

   BlenderorFood processor
5. 5
   Taste and adjust the seasoning. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge up to two weeks.
6. 6
   Mix the tahini, lemon juice and garlic.
7. 7
   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.
8. 8
   Spread the tahini on a flat plate, drizzle the olive oil on top.

   Plate