Tahini is the perfect partner for fish. It is creamy and nutty. The onions add a welcome sweetness to the tahini sauce, the lemon juice cuts through the richness of it and the orange juice and zest take it entirely to another level.
SERVINGS: 6
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup tahini
- 3 cloves garlic, mashed
- Juice of 2 lemons
- Juice of 1 orange
- Zest of ½ orange
- 1 cup water
- Sea salt
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 pieces of white fish fillets (such as sea bass, halibut, cod)
- 2 small onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, to garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a bowl, combine the tahini, mashed garlic, lemon juice, orange juice, and orange zest. The mixture may initially seize, but gradually add the water while stirring until the sauce begins to soften and becomes runny and creamy. Season with sea salt and mix well. Set aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Place the fish fillets in the pan, skin side down, and cook for about 3 minutes to crisp up the skin. Flip the fillets and cook for an additional 2 minutes on the other side. Remove the fish from the pan and set aside.
- In another large frying pan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the thinly sliced onions and fry until they turn golden and crisp, taking care not to burn them. Remove the fried onions from the pan and place them on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
- Using the same frying pan, pour in the tahini-citrus mixture. Stir in salt to taste. Reserve a portion of the fried onions for garnish and add the rest to the sauce. Allow the sauce to come to a boil for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat.
- Carefully slide the cooked fish fillets into the tahini sauce, swirling them around to coat them evenly. Leave the fish undisturbed in the sauce for 5 minutes to finish poaching.
- Serve the fish hot in individual plates, garnished with toasted pine nuts and the reserved crispy onions.
