Siniyet Samak — Sea Bream Fillets Baked in Tahini with Potatoes & Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1¼ lb Sea Bream Fillets, in thick fillets
• 3 Potatoes, sliced thin
• 3 Tomatoes, sliced in rounds
• 2 onions, sliced thin
• ¾ cup tahini
• Juice of 2 lemons
• ½ cup cold water
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
• Salt, black pepper, and chopped parsley

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Toss the Potatoes with 2 tbsp of the oil and salt, spread in a baking dish, and roast 20 minutes until tender at the edges.
2. Cook the onions in the remaining oil over medium-low until soft and golden, 12 minutes, and set aside.
3. Whisk the tahini with the garlic, cumin, lemon juice, and salt. It will seize into a thick paste — this is expected. Add the cold water a spoonful at a time, whisking, until it loosens into a pourable cream the texture of thin yogurt.
4. Season the Sea Bream Fillets and lay it over the roasted Potatoes, scatter the onions around, and pour the tahini sauce over everything. Cover with the Tomatoes rounds.
5. Bake 18–20 minutes until the fish flakes and reaches 145°F (63°C) and the tahini has set into a golden, slightly cracked crust on top.
6. Scatter pine nuts and parsley and serve warm, with extra lemon at the table.