The Best Damn Tahini (Tahina) Sauce

Recipe

1/2 cup lemon juice (from 2- 4 Lemons zest one of the lemons before juicing)
12 cloves of garlic (like from a bag of peeled garlic) or one head of garlic peeled
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
16 oz tahini (1 jar)
Zest of one lemon
Ice Water (you’ll need probably about 1/4 to 1-1/2 cups)
½ teaspoon ground cumin (up to 1 Tsp if you really like Cumin)

Yields about 4 cups or 32 2-TBSP Servings

You can do all of this by hand, but doing it in a food processor is infinitely easier! (the by hand technique follows after the food processor one…)

Food Processor Version

Add the garlic, lemon juice, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and run for 10 seconds. Scrape down the bowl of the food processor then run another 10 seconds). Let that sit for about 15 minutes (you must let the garlic infuse into the lemon juice). Once the 15 minutes are up strain the garlic out using a fine mesh strainer into a vessel to save the lemon juice making sure to press everything possible out of the garlic with the back of a spoon. You can discard the garlic, but I mean why would you want to!?!? It’s great mixed with butter, spread on bread, then toasted… its a great add to dressings… its great in marinades… I mean anything really that you would add lemony garlic to! Okay back to the recipe, Put the lemon juice back in the bowl of the food processor, add the entire contents of the Tahini jar and the zest of the lemon… Turn on the food processor and pretty quickly the Tahini will become a pretty thick paste. While the food processor is running drizzle in the ice water, I check the food processor after 1/4 cup has been added and then every few tablespoons until the sauce is to the consistency that I want. Once its at the consistency that you want you can add the Cumin, taste and add more if you like.

That’s basically it, its pretty quick and easy and yields just about the most amazing Tahina you have ever tasted!

Handmade version

Mince, crush or use a mortar and pestle to reduce the garlic to a paste, then stir it into the lemon juice. Let that sit for about 15 minutes (you must let the garlic infuse into the lemon juice). Once the 15 minutes are up strain the garlic out using a fine mesh strainer into a vessel to save the lemon juice making sure to press everything possible out of the garlic with the back of a spoon. You can discard the garlic, but I mean why would you want to!?!? It’s great mixed with butter, spread on bread, then toasted… its a great add to dressings… its great in marinades… I mean anything really that you would add lemony garlic to! Okay back to the recipe, add the strained lemon juice to a large bowl… using a whisk, or if your really a masochist and enjoy punishing yourself use a spoon to stir in the entire contents of the Tahini jar and the zest of the lemon… As your stirring your Tahini will rapidly become a paste. Once its become a paste you can add a little ice water and continue to stir until incorporated, then add a little more and stir more, and repeat until it becomes the consistency that you want!