Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)

- Makes about 900ml
​Looks like mayo but packs a big punch of flavor… Yes! I am talking about the fluffy, garlicky Lebanese dip “Toum”. I first discovered this wonderful dip during my yearly trips to Dubai. With every plate of chicken and lamb kebabs came a tiny mountain this lip-smacking dip. The first few times I ignored it mistaking it for mayo (never been a big fan of mayo), until one evening when the lovely waiter pointed out to me that it’s all garlic and a must eat with all kebabs. And that was the beginning of my obsession with Toum.
​Since then, I had tried making this dip multiple times and failed miserably each time until recently. There are just two things to remember when making this garlic mayo.
  1. Use a good food processor. A mortar and pestle can be used but is quite labour intensive, and you will need to reduce the quantity substantially.
  2. Mince your garlic until very pasty or your toum will not come together. The process is just like making mayonnaise; however, with mayonnaise all the liquid can be added at once but garlic isn’t as strong an emulsifier as egg; adding the liquid slowly and making a thick paste creates more drag on the oil droplets, helping them to keep apart (as explained again in Step 3 in the recipe).

Ingredients for ​Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce)

1 cup or 130g cloves garlic
2 teaspoons coarse sea-salt or kosher salt 
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh juice from about 2 lemons, divided
1/4 cup (60ml) iced water, divided
3 cups (720ml) any neutral vegetable oil, such as grapeseed or canola, divided

Recipe
  1. Using a paring knife, split each garlic clove in half lengthwise. With the tip of the knife, remove the germ from both halves and discard.
  2. Place the de-germed garlic and salt in the bowl of a heavy food processor. Pulse garlic until very finely minced, occasionally removing the lid to scrape down the sides of the blender. Make sure you continue to pulse the garlic until it is completely pureed. The garlic needs to be fully broken down in order for the proteins and stabilizers to be released from within its cell walls. 
  3. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and continue processing until a paste begins to form. Add another tablespoon lemon juice and process until completely smooth and slightly fluffy. The process is just like making mayonnaise however, with mayonnaise all the liquid can be added at once but garlic isn’t as strong an emulsifier. Adding the liquid slowly and making a thick paste creates more drag on the oil droplets, helping them to keep apart.
  4. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup oil in a very thin stream, followed by 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Repeat with another 1/2 cup oil and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Continue to process, alternating 1/2 cup oil and 1 tablespoon iced water, until all the oil and water have been incorporated. Alternating the addition of oil with a small amount of liquid, in the form of lemon juice and water, prevents the emulsion from becoming overwhelmed with oil and breaking.
  5. Transfer Toum into a container and store in the fridge for up to a month. Serve with your favorite kebabs (click here for recipes - Tandoori Chicken and Reshmi Chicken Kebabs) or simply with some toasty pita bread. I even add it to my salad dressings, pasta sauces, vegetables and really anything requiring a garlicky punch.
​Note: If the emulsion breaks, it can easily be brought back together with the help of an egg white. Combine 1 egg white with 1/4 cup of the broken emulsion in the bowl of a food processor until light and fluffy. With the food processor running, slowly pour in the remaining broken emulsion until the dip reaches a fluffy consistency.
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