3 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon sea salt

• Toast the sesame seeds in a heavy skillet over medium heat until they're light brown and aromatic. (The seeds may start to “pop” at this point.) Stir frequently to prevent the seeds from burning. Set aside to cool.

• Add the salt to the toasted sesame seeds and mix well. Grind with a mortar and pestle until the seeds crack open; the mixture will be a coarse grind. (Alternatively, you can put the mixture in a bowl and “grind” it with the back of a spoon, or, grind it in a spice grinder or food processor and pulse the mixture a few times.) Regardless of the method you use, do not overprocess it. Like peanuts, sesame seeds have natural oils that will turn it into a paste if you process it too much, and you'll end up with nut butter.