Chicken Thigh Siniyeh in Tahini with homemade raw tahini

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Roast Chicken

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 raw tahini, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, olive oil, salt and black pepper into a smooth sauce.

   Bowl
4. 4
   Place the chicken in a baking dish, pour the mixture over it and massage it in well.

   Baking pan
5. 5
   Marinate the chicken in the mixture at least 1 hour.
6. 6
   Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F) and pour the water into the bottom of the dish.

   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.
7. 7
   Bake 30 minutes, flip and bake another 15 minutes, until the chicken thighs are browned and the tahini peeks through.

   OvenBaking pan

   💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
8. 8
   Serve with rice, pita and Israeli salad.