Two Minute Toum Food

TOUM GARLIC SAUCE RECIPE

Steps:

• Peel the garlic cloves. Cut the cloves in half and remove the green germ (this is optional).
• Place the garlic and kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor (a smaller one may work better here). Pulse a few times until the garlic looks minced, stopping to scrape down the sides. Add the lemon juice and pulse a few times to combine (again, scrape down the sides)
• While the food processor is running, drizzle the oil in ever so slowly (use the top opening of the processor to drizzle in the oil). After you've used about 1/4 cup or so, add in about 1 tablespoon of the ice water. Stop to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl.
• Keep the processor running and continue to slowly drizzle in the oil, adding a tablespoon of the ice water after every 1/4 cup of oil. Continue on with this process until you have used up the oil entirely. The garlic sauce has thickened and increased in volume (it should look smooth and fluffy). This should take somewhere around 10 minute or so.

LEBANESE GARLIC SAUCE (TOUM)

Steps:

• Slice the garlic cloves in half lengthwise and remove any green sprouts.
• Transfer the sliced garlic cloves into a food processor and add the kosher salt to the garlic cloves. Process for a minute until the garlic becomes finely minced. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor afterwards.
• While the food processor is running, slowly pour one to two tablespoons of oil, then stop and scrape down the bowl. Continue adding another tablespoon or two until the garlic starts looking creamy.
• Once the garlic looks emulsified by the few tablespoons of oil, increase the speed of pouring the oil and alternate with the 1/2 cup of lemon juice until all the oil and lemon juice is incorporated. This will take about 15 minutes to complete.
• Transfer the sauce into a glass container and cover with a paper towel in the fridge overnight. Makes about 4 cups.
• The next day, replace the paper towel with an airtight lid and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.

TRADITIONAL TOUM (LEBANESE GARLIC SAUCE) RECIPE

Steps:

• Mortar and Pestle Method: Depending on the size of your mortar, you may need to make the recipe in smaller batches, halving or quartering the ingredient amounts. In the mortar, combine garlic and salt and grind until it becomes a smooth paste. Work oil into paste 1 teaspoon at a time. After adding 1 tablespoon oil, work in a few drops of lemon juice. Repeat until all the oil, lemon juice, and water have been incorporated.

TOUM (GARLIC SAUCE)

Steps:

• Peel the garlic cloves and slice them in half lengthwise. If there is a green germ in any of the cloves, remove it to prevent the bitter, burning flavor it imparts.
• Process the garlic cloves with the salt in the food processor, stopping and scraping down the sides a few times, until the garlic is minced. Add the lemon juice and pulse several times to combine.
• With the processor on, begin to drizzle the oil in so slowly that the stream turns to a dribble at times; use the oil drip hole in the top of the processor if yours has one. After 1/4 cup (60 mL) of the oil has been added, slowly pour in a tablespoon (15 mL) of the ice water. Continue slowly drizzling in the oil and slowly adding a tablespoon of ice water after every 1/4 cup (60 mL) of oil until the sauce is thickened and all of the oil has been incorporated. This takes about 7 minutes.
• The sauce will be slightly thick, with some body, but still pourable. Store the toum in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks.