Toum (Lebanese Garlic Sauce) Recipe
Lebanon
Toum or thoum is a garlic sauce used in Lebanon. The method below is the traditional way toum is prepared in most parts of Lebanon.
Ingredients
- 10–40 g fresh, peeled garlic (less for a milder thoum, more for a stronger one)
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced and strained
- ¼–½ tsp salt
Procedure
- Use a pestle (traditionally wooden) to smash the garlic with salt until very smooth; you can add the salt at the beginning or after the garlic is well smashed.thumb|Wooden mortar used to prepare toum|300x300px
- Gradually mix in the oil—start by adding one drop at a time and stirring the oil into the garlic with the pestle. After you've added about 1 tbsp of oil and it's been well incorporated, you can drizzle the oil in rather than adding it drop by drop. After half of the oil is added, alternate a bit of lemon juice with a bit of oil. Don't stop for long while mixing; it's necessary to keep stirring, stopping only for very brief periods. When finished the toum will have a similar consistency to thick mayonnaise.