Lebanese baked spicy fish in with tahini sauce recipe

This is a magnificent way of preparing fish, the sweetness of onions and the bitterness of the tahini, the richness of the walnuts, making a perfect sauce that compliments the fish perfectly. Check it out and try prepare it.

1 hour | Makes 4 servings | By Maisaa Meqdadi - Club Noor

Ingredients

2  kg sea bream fish

 For the tatbileh (filling)

2  green chilis, chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
 slices of 2 lemons
1  tbsp lemon rind (zest)
1  tbsp cumin
1  tbsp olive oil
 salt and pepper

 Rub the fish with:

¼  cup Noor Oil (Sunflower Oil)
1 tsp  coriander
1 tsp cayenne pepper
 salt and pepper

 For the tahini sauce

1 medium onion, chopped
2  tbsp Noor Oil
10  cloves  garlic, crushed
2  tbsp coriander powder
1 cup tahini (sesame sauce)
2 cups water
1 cup lemon juice
½  cup finely walnuts, chopped
 Salt and pepper
 red chili flakes, crushed
 garnish with fried almonds and pine nuts, red chili chopped, chopped coriander.

Preparation

1. Wash the fish (2 kg sea bream fish) in cold water with lemon, rinse well and pat dry. Mix the filling ingredients , fill into the fish, allow to marinade for 15 minutes in the fridge.

2. Rub the fish with rubbing ingredients above.

3. Wrap the fish with foil paper and bake in a preheated oven (180 C°) for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the tahini sauce by mixing the tahini with lemon juice then drizzling in some water, it will thicken at the beginning then it will get looser and smoother.

4. Fry the chopped onions with 2 tablespoons of Noor Oil until it becomes soft on medium heat.

5. Add the garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes

6. Add the coriander powder, the walnuts, the lemon tahini sauce, salt and pepper, and red chili flakes to the sautéed onions and garlic and stir well.

7. Allow it boil on low heat for 10 minutes stirring well continuously, until it thickens and oil separates.

8. Remove the fish from oven, and let it set for 10 minutes to sweat the skin and not to stick to the foil paper and therefore can be removed smootly. Transfer the fish to your serving dish, pour the tahini sauce over the fish (leaving the head and the tail as shown)

9. Garnish the dish with fried almonds and pine nuts, red chili chopped, chopped coriander.
Serve hot with white rice or fried bread.

Suggestion:

You can grill the fish on charcoal and serve it with the tahini sauce on a nice barbeque day.