Levantine cuisine · Fish & Seafood

Tajen Samak bi Tahini

Fish fillets baked under a creamy tahini-lemon sauce with caramelized onions, finished with a scattering of pine nuts.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 800 g firm white fish fillet
• 4 onions
• 150 g tahini
• 2 lemons
• 3 garlic cloves
• 40 g pine nuts
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper, drizzle with the juice of half a lemon and let sit for 10 min.
2. Slice the onions into thin rings and cook in 4 tbsp olive oil over medium heat for 15–20 min until soft and golden — they should turn sweet, not burn.
3. Whisk the tahini with the juice of the remaining lemons, the crushed garlic, salt, and 150 ml water until smooth, until you have a pale, creamy, pourable sauce.
4. Place the fish in a baking dish, scatter the onions over it, and pour the tahini sauce evenly over everything.
5. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20–25 min, until the sauce bubbles golden brown at the edges and the fish flakes easily with a fork.
6. Toast the pine nuts in the remaining olive oil until golden, scatter over the tajen, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve hot.