For Christmas I received a small food processor as a gift from my cousin. It’s amazing. And the first thing I made with “Baby Blue,” was homemade tahini.
Tahini isn’t only a foundation for hummus, it’s a wonderful addition to vinaigrettes, cold noodles – and don’t forget chicken shawarma. The pure sesame taste is incredibly addictive.
Bonus: It’s so simple to make that you’ll be incorporating a lot more tahini into more dishes of your own.
Double bonus: It will keep for two months in the refrigerator.
Homemade Tahini Paste
Yield 1 ¼ cups.
Ingredients:
1 cup hulled sesame seeds
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions:
Place the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan. Cook them over medium heat stirring constantly, until fragrant and golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. (Note: Don’t check your email. Don’t answer the phone. Don’t multitask. Don’t water the plants. The seeds can burn in a second, and that’s not what you want.)
Let the seeds cool for a few minutes, and place them in a mini-food processor or blender with the olive oil.
Process until smooth.
(Photos by Launie Kettler)