Tahini and Honey Poached Salmon and Mediterranea

Mediterranea: A Vibrant Culinary Journey Through Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean, written by Hanady Nabut, features an incredible collection of 60 recipes perfect for the home cook. A few highlights include Cannellini Bean Dip with Mushrooms, Braised Lamb Shanks with Tamarind, Spiced Lemon and Basil Calamari, Whole Wheat Cheese and Thyme Hand Pies, and Dark Chocolate Lazy Cake. I will also be sharing her recipe for Tahini and Honey Poached Salmon following the review.

Disclosure: I received this book from Page Street Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and statements are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Hanady Nabut

Hanady Nabut is a writer, photographer, recipe developer, and founder of the food blog, Hanady Kitchen, with a focus on flavors from her Palestinian, Spanish, and American background. She has “a passion for travel, storytelling, photography, and all things food.”

She grew up in the United States and currently lives in Florida with her family. This is her first cookbook. Her work has also been featured in Food and Wine and Health.

Mediterranea

Hanady begins Mediterranea with a short introduction and how she developed a love for food through her family.

Before getting to the recipes, she includes a few tips for using olive oil in cooking, meal prep, descriptions of notable pantry staples, and specific techniques.

Chapters are divided according to the following: Mezze, Meat and Poultry, Fruits of the Sea, Vibrant Vegetables, Grains, and All Things Sweet. The table of contents lists the recipes with page number for easy reference.

Hanady also provides the photography. Every single recipe is paired with a beautifully styled, full-page photo of the finished dish.

Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English or the original language. Each dish has a headnote with background information, yield, helpful notes, and serving ideas.

Tahini and Honey Poached Salmon

I had some tahini I needed to use up and it was perfect in this Tahini and Honey Poached Salmon. With minimal prep and about 40 minutes, it is such an easy and fantastic meal.

Salmon fillets are briefly seared on each side, then poached in a spiced tahini sauce until cooked through and flaky.

Serve immediately with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts, chopped parsley, and a drizzle of pomegranate molasses.

Notable Ingredients

Tahini is a sesame seed paste created from ground toasted or raw sesame seeds. It is becoming more readily available in the international or health food section of most larger supermarkets or on Amazon: Kevala Organic Sesame Tahini.

Make sure you stir the tahini well before using, especially down to the bottom of the container.

I have been able to find Pomegranate Molasses in markets with Middle Eastern ingredients, Wegmans, and Whole Foods. It is also available on Amazon: Cortas Pomegranate Molasses.

Other Dishes

I also made the Sesame-Encrusted Halloumi with Honey Sauce, Roasted Chicken with Pomegranate Glaze and Sumac, Mini Lemon and Poppy Loaves with Raspberry and Rose Drizzle, and Black Sesame Horchata.

The Sesame-Encrusted Halloumi with Honey Sauce is such a delicious treat and packed with flavor. Slices of chewy Halloumi are coated in sesame seeds and pan-fried until golden. They are drizzled with a citrus honey sauce before serving.

The Roasted Chicken with Pomegranate Glaze and Sumac is a readers’ favorite on Hanady’s blog and I can definitely see why! Chicken legs are marinated in a pomegranate sumac mixture, then roasted until golden. This also smells fantastic while cooking in the oven.

There are so many wonderful options in the All Things Sweet chapter. We started with the Mini Lemon and Poppy Loaves with Raspberry and Rose Drizzle (not photographed- always make sure the memory card is in your camera!). These light cakes are flavored with lemon and poppy seeds, then brushed with a simple syrup and covered with a creamy raspberry rose drizzle. For even more flavor, they are topped with dehydrated raspberries, rose petals, and poppy seeds.

The Black Sesame Horchata is such a fun variation of the classic drink. After preparing black sesame seeds, they are blended with honey, tahini, and cinnamon for quite the refreshing combination of flavors.

Mediterranea is a great pick for those interest in a variety of seafood, meat, and vegetarian-based dishes with flavors from throughout the Mediterranean. Many recipes come together in as little as 30 minutes while others require a bit more prep or resting time.

Most of the ingredients are readily available in larger American grocery stores. A few items that may require a Middle Eastern market include 7 spice, pomegranate molasses, za’atar, Urfa chili, carob syrup, orange blossom honey, black sesame seeds, Aleppo chili flakes, tamarind paste, sumac, saffron, sultanas, rice flour, dried rose petals, and rose water.

Tahini and Honey Poached Salmon Recipe

Excerpt from Mediterranea

Print Pin

Tahini and Honey Poached Salmon

A recipe for Tahini and Honey Poached Salmon from the cookbook, Mediterranea! Salmon fillets are briefly seared, then poached in a spiced tahini sauce until flaky.

Course Main

Cuisine N/A

Keyword fish, honey, lemon, salmon, seafood, tahini

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (70 grams) tahini paste
• 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) lemon juice juice of about 2 large lemons
• 1 tablespoon (21 grams) honey
• 1 1/4 teaspoons fine sea salt divided
• 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) water
• 4 salmon fillets 20-24 ounces, 570-680 grams
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons (75 milliliters) extra-virgin olive oil divided
• 1 large onion finely sliced
• 3 large cloves garlic finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

For garnish:

• Pomegranate seeds
• Pine nuts toasted
• Fresh parsley finely chopped
• Pomegranate molasses

Instructions

• Mix the tahini, lemon juice, honey, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and water until smooth and set aside.
• Season each salmon fillet with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) of olive oil.
• When the oil is hot, place the salmon pieces, skin side up, in the pan. Cook the fish for 3 minutes, reduce the heat to medium, gently flip the salmon, and cook it for another 4 minutes.
• Remove it from the heat and set aside.
• Add 3 tablespoons (45 milliliters) of olive oil to the pan and stir in the onion. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the garlic and cumin and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Stir in the prepared tahini sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Arrange the salmon fillets on the sauce and cook for another minute or two.
• Serve with pomegranate seeds, pine nuts, parsley, and pomegranate molasses.