Grilled Whole Fish with Tahini-Herb Sauce
Grilled white fish rubbed with warm spices and finished with a bright, lemony, herb-flecked tahini sauce for drizzling.
Along the Lebanese coast, grilled white fish gets dressed simply — a spice rub, a hot grill, and a tahini sauce loosened with lemon and water until it's pourable rather than thick. It's a lighter cousin of the fried, chile-heavy samke harra you'll find at seaside restaurants, built for a weeknight instead of a feast.
Because the fish is grilled rather than fried and the sauce is tahini-based instead of cream or mayonnaise, this dish delivers a large amount of lean protein alongside heart-healthy fats from both the fish and the sesame paste, with very little in the way of refined carbohydrate. Serve it with a simple salad or steamed greens, and don't be shy with the fresh herbs stirred into the sauce at the end.
Ingredients
For the fish
- 4 white fish fillets (sea bass, branzino, or tilapia) — about 5 oz each
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
For the tahini-herb sauce
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
- 1 pinch salt
These ingredients are common at Middle Eastern grocers; a well-stocked international supermarket usually carries them too.
Instructions
- 1Pat fish fillets dry; rub with olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Let marinate 15 minutes.
- 2Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat; oil the grates.
- 3Grill fish 3-4 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until it flakes easily and reaches 145°F internal.
- 4Whisk tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic, and salt together until smooth and pourable; stir in herbs.
- 5Serve fish drizzled with tahini-herb sauce.