I've been kind of lazy about it... eating salmon burgers or shrimp sauteed with vegetables and then drizzling with either tahini sauce or olive oil + lemon juice + herbs. But this weekend, I made myself a stash of Middle Eastern Baked Fish with Nut and Sesame Crust. It's ridiculously yummy: creamy, nutty, and rich. It tastes very indulgent but it's super power food. Love that!Middle Eastern Baked Fish with Nut and Sesame Crust
Ingredients:Directions:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 oz. unsalted roasted almonds, chopped
6 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
24 oz. white fish: cod, snapper, sea bass, or flounder
fresh, chopped parsley, for garnish
1. Put the garlic and nuts in a food processor and mince finely. Add the tahini and lemon juice and purée. Add enough water to make a spreadable paste and process until smooth. (I think I used about 1/2 cup water, adding it 1/8 cup at a time. The texture was like thick cake frosting.)
2. Preheat the oven to 450F. Bring the fish to room temperature.
3. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray, or coat with olive oil. Place the fish in the dish in a single layer and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Spread the tahini mixture over the fish. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
4. Before serving, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the fillet and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Sauteed zucchini is a really nice go-along. Bonus taste points if you throw some fresh minced garlic and lemon juice on the zucchini.
Full disclosure: The recipe was a little bit of a pain to make; it was kind of awkward spreading the tahini sauce onto the fish. And it doesn't look really pretty... although with more practice, I think I could make it look tastier. I was worried about overcooking, so I didn't allow the sauce to brown very much in the oven. There are a few tasty-looking dark brown spots, so I think either a few more minutes in the oven or a quick bout under the broiler might make it look beter. BUT...all concerns about appearance disappeared when I took the first bite. I've been eating it this week for lunch, and it's a delicious, indulgent, good-for-me treat. I rate it: YUM-EEE.
[Cute fish graphic by Leif Parsons pilfered from The New York Times.]
I randomly got some cod tonight and thought of this recipe.. didn't have enough time, nor almonds, nor desire after my ludicrous drive home through Montreal traffic.. but then I remembered I had made a batch of Tahini Sauce the other day (which I had added a lot more tahini to, and some toasted sesame oil), so I decided to take a chance and slather some on top of the cod (which I first dowsed with lemon) and.. it was pretty rad for a quick dinner fix.. will definitely try it again for real with the almonds next time :)
ReplyDeleteMelanie --> You just inspired me to make a batch of tahini sauce... it's been a while. If you make this recipe, let me know how you like it. It was tricky to make, but I forgave everything when I tasted it.
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