Toum Recipe – Lebanese Garlic Sauce

Directions

• Cut each peeled garlic clove in half, revealing the germ. Carefully slice out the germ from each half, and discard. Keeping the germ inside can make the toum taste bitter.
• Put garlic and Kosher salt into food processor. Process until it is a smooth paste, scraping down the sides a few times to make sure everything makes plenty of contact with the blades.
• Add 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice, and process for another minute. Scrape down the sides as needed.
• With the processor on low speed, very slowly drizzle in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Process for a minute or two, until everything begins to emulsify. Scrape down the sides as needed.
• Gradually drizzle in another 1/3 cup olive oil. Go very slowly and gradually; about as slowly as you can drizzle with a spoon. If too much oil is added too quickly, the emulsion will break and the sauce is ruined.
• Next, slowly drizzle in 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice. Then another 1/3 cup of olive oil. Continue alternating between 1 Tablespoon lemon juice and 1/3 cup of olive oil, until you’ve used all of each ingredient.
• Continue processing for another couple minutes. When finished, you should have a light, fluffy garlic sauce. The whole drizzling process may take 15 minutes (to give you an idea of how slowly you ought to be adding the lemon juice and oil).
• Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. It will taste best after a full day in the fridge.