Tahini Baked Fish with Lemon

Step 1

Set the oven to 425°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished preheating, about 8 minutes.

Step 2

Pat the fish fillets dry with paper towels by laying each fillet on the towel and gently pressing the top and sides until no moisture beads appear.

Step 3

Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice, about the size of pencil-tip dots.

Step 4

Zest the lemon by rubbing the yellow part of the skin against a microplane or box grater, stopping when you reach the white pith; set zest aside, then cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a small bowl.

Step 5

Pour 3 tablespoons of tahini into a small bowl, then add the minced garlic, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons of water, and a pinch each of salt and pepper; whisk with a fork until smooth and pourable, about 30 seconds.

Step 6

Place the fish fillets on a parchment-lined sheet pan, spacing them 2 inches apart, then pour the tahini sauce over each fillet until the top and sides are coated.

Step 7

Slide the sheet pan into the preheated 425°F oven and bake until the fish flakes apart when you press it gently with a fork and the thickest part is opaque all the way through, about 12 minutes.

Step 8

Remove the sheet pan from the oven and scatter the reserved lemon zest over the top of each fillet.