This is a classic rookie move, and usually a recipe for
disaster, pun intended. If you’re going to significantly increase the amount of
an ingredient, you can’t just dump it all in and cross your fingers. You have
to add it little by little, tasting as you go, otherwise you’ll end up like me;
the proud owner of a perfectly fine garlic sauce.
There’s nothing wrong with garlic sauce, unless you really
wanted tahini sauce. The good news is,
my mistake shouldn’t affect you in the least. The technique is very simple, and
every ingredient is “to taste.” So, please use the ingredient amounts below as
a guide, and then add more of whatever until you have it exactly how you want
it.
Once you get the formula down, you’ll be enjoying one of the
world’s great cold sauces. Perfect with everything from steamed vegetables to
grilled meats, and of course, homemade falafel. So, stay tuned for that, and in
the meantime, I hope you get this delicious tahini sauce a try soon. Enjoy!
Ingredients for about 1 cup of tahini sauce:
1/2 cup tahini (pure sesame seed paste)
1 clove finely crushed garlic (I used 4 cloves in the video, but you probably shouldn’t)
pinch of salt
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp olive oil, optional (most classic recipes do not
include)
enough warm water to achieve the desired consistency (this
sauce is usually very thin)
18 comments:
My most recent culinary disaster was with tahini sauce as well. But in my case I put in too much lemon. I should have known better, it's wasn't the first time I made that either
No such thing as too much garlic. In Egypt we use lime instead of lemon we add white vinegar, Cumin and Paprika. As for the consistency it depends on what you are serving tahini with
Adding garlic little by little, tasting as you go doesn't work, either. Been there, tried that. I stopped adding Garlic to the Cacık when I started tasting onion. That was weapons-grade Cacık!
The reason is that you taste garlic less and less, the more you try. And very fast, too.
I'm hoping the falafel isn't too hard.... I want to make it but the good eats version is too complicated.
I love your videos! But you have one dish that can use some nice cayenne on top.. and you don't add it? Wtf :) You put cayenne in everything even in your amazing chocolate.. but you don't put it on your Tahini? Lol
CJ - Are you kidding....that was the perfect amount of garlic! I've been eating a lot of
fal-AWFUL lately. I can't wait to try yours.
Oh man! More middle eastern food! I have a request, show us a good chef-john-approved beef koobideh or kofta recipe!
Would sugar free peanut butter work instead of tahini?
haha I got up to Ejal Nvt's comment and started laughing hard out - almost forgot the comment I had in mind. So right. hehe
Anywho... Chef John, I think you could have just passed your sauce through a fine sieve to remove nearly all of the garlic particles, then put just the right amount from that back in?
Excited for the falafel! Tahini's a great ingredient: hummus, falafel, halva, etc.
Is there any chance of seeing a recipe for Easter Grain Pie? I've tried finding recipes online but they're few and far between.
That presentation at the end was so perfect! those colors! can't wait...
i never heard of warm water use..
often people prepare it with ice and cold water inside.....
So...I never liked tahini. I took to leaving it out of the hummus altogether 'cause I don't like it. I made this sauce anyway. Something about all that lemon juice made this delicious. Added just a clove of garlic. It was perfect. Had it last night with the Chef's falafel. That was a good supper. Thanks Chef!
CJ,
I would love to see a throw-back photo of CJ when he was listening to this!
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLYC7ltxOrk
;)
A couple of days ago, I bought a frozen seafood dinner at the market. It came in an aluminum foil pan and was heated by placing it directly on a BBQ grill!
It consisted of among other things, shrimp, crab, corn on the cob, clams, mussels, and a sausage something like andouille.
It made a pretty good dinner, but I'm sure you could come up with something better. It wasn't a soup like cioppino.
Thanks for all the great recipes and videos!
-Hal
Hi CJ :)
My hubby and I have falafel, tahini, borekas and salad supper about every week and we love it with lots of garlic... enogh garlic to feel its burn :))
About the warm water... when ever you make thini (or thina as we call it )with warm or even room temp water and then place it in the fridge, the thina thickens and looses the consistancy you went for.
Using ice water makes sure the consistancy stays the same even after refregerating. PS. the warm water also dulls the garlic flavour.
Cheers
Edith
Great recipe. I love the crispy outside and soft inside.
I just made this, very carefully, and it turned out well, thanks again.
The sad fact is that cooking makes me nervous and grumpy, for lack of experience, plus worry about the results; but after some months doing Chef John recipes (and my first Vahchef Indian recipe -- Paneer Tikka Masala -- for which I actually made my own paneer, ginger-garlic sauce, and tomato puree), I am beginning to get a bit more confidence. Thanks again Chef John for your entertaining, and REASSURING approach.
--Grouchy Amateur Cook
Post a Comment