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Samak bil Tahini

Name: Samak bil Tahini
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 27 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients: 400 g white fish fillets (sea bass, cod, or snapper), skinless; 4 g fine sea salt; 1 g black pepper; 1 g ground cumin; 15 ml lemon juice; 10 ml olive oil; 180 g yellow onion, thinly sliced; 15 ml olive oil; 1 g fine sea salt; 90 g tahini; 45 ml lemon juice; 10 g garlic, finely minced; 90 ml warm water; 3 g fine sea salt; 20 g pine nuts; 12 g flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; 5 ml olive oil

Tender baked fish rests on a bed of sweet onions and is blanketed in a silky tahini-lemon sauce that turns rich and mellow in the oven. Toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley add aroma, texture, and brightness, making the dish both comforting and refined.

45 min

2 servings

570 kcal

Lebanese

Ingredients

For the fish

400 gwhite fish fillets (sea bass, cod, or snapper), skinless
4 gfine sea salt
1 gblack pepper
1 gground cumin
15 mllemon juice
10 mlolive oil

For the onion base

180 gyellow onion, thinly sliced
15 mlolive oil
1 gfine sea salt

For the tahini sauce

90 gtahini
45 mllemon juice
10 ggarlic, finely minced
90 mlwarm water
3 gfine sea salt

For finishing

20 gpine nuts
12 gflat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
5 mlolive oil

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Pat the fish dry so it roasts rather than steams. Season it on both sides with salt, black pepper, cumin, lemon juice, and olive oil, then set aside while you prepare the onion base.
2
Heat a wide ovenproof skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then cook the sliced onion with the salt for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until softened and lightly golden. Do not rush this step; gentle browning gives the dish sweetness and depth.
3
While the onion cooks, make the tahini sauce. In a bowl, stir together tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. The mixture will seize and thicken at first; gradually whisk in the warm water until you have a smooth, pourable sauce similar to light cream.
4
Spread the softened onions evenly in the pan. Lay the seasoned fish over the onions in a single layer, then pour the tahini sauce around and over the fish. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the fish flakes easily at the thickest part and the sauce is gently bubbling at the edges.
5
While the fish bakes, toast the pine nuts in a small dry pan over low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes, shaking frequently, until golden and fragrant. Transfer immediately so they do not burn.
6
Remove the fish from the oven and let it rest for 3 minutes so the sauce settles slightly. Spoon some sauce and onions over each fillet, then finish with the toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley, and a light drizzle of olive oil before serving.

Nutrition per serving

570 kcal

Calories

45g

Protein

14g

Carbs

37g

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•Serve with Lebanese rice, vermicelli rice, or warm flatbread and a simple cucumber salad.
•If your tahini is very thick or bitter, add the warm water gradually and balance with an extra 5-10 ml lemon juice if needed.
•Choose fillets about 2-3 cm thick for even baking; thinner fillets will cook faster and may need only 12-14 minutes.
•An ovenproof skillet saves time, but you can also transfer the onions and fish to a small baking dish before adding the sauce.

Background

Samak bil Tahini is a classic Levantine fish preparation, especially associated with the coastal cooking of Lebanon and neighboring Palestine. It reflects the regional love of tahini, lemon, and garlic, ingredients that appear across many everyday and festive dishes. The combination of baked fish over onions with nutty sesame sauce is both homestyle and elegant.

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